Trashad Laron Roberts, 35, of Marianna, Florida, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison after being found guilty by a jury of escaping from a residential reentry center. The sentencing was announced on Apr. 27 by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The case highlights the importance of following conditions set for inmates transitioning back into society and underscores law enforcement's response to violations that may impact community safety.
Heekin said, “The terms of supervision at a residential reentry center are not suggestions, they are mandatory conditions of an inmate’s prison sentence that are designed to keep our communities safe. This defendant willfully disregarded the restrictions placed upon him that were part of his prior sentence, and now he will spend even longer in prison. The safety of our communities is not negotiable, and my office will aggressively prosecute offenders like this defendant who threaten that safety.”
According to court records, Roberts had previously been convicted in September 2020 for possession and distribution of methamphetamine and was serving four years on supervised release after his federal prison term. While assigned to serve his final year at a Tallahassee residential reentry center—a facility meant to support prisoner reintegration—Roberts left without authorization on September 2, 2025. Law enforcement agencies located him hiding inside a residence within four hours.
“As soon as the U.S. Marshals Service learned that Trashad Roberts was on the run, we sent our fugitive task force to work,” said Acting U.S. Marshal Greg Leljedal. “Through swift, decisive action with our partners at the Tallahassee Police Department, we were able to quickly locate Roberts and had him back in prison before bed.”
Roberts must serve his original sentence consecutively with this new sentence before beginning another four years under supervised release.
The Bureau of Prisons uses Residential Reentry Centers—also called halfway houses—to help prisoners return safely into society through structured environments offering supervision and employment support services.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida advances community safety and quality of life by upholding the rule of law and protecting civil rights across northern Florida according to its official website. The office operates from facilities located in U.S. courthouses in Tallahassee, Pensacola and Gainesville according to its official website, is part of the United States Department of Justice according to its official website, enforces federal laws while defending national security and securing public funds according to its official website, covers 23 counties including Tallahassee and the Panhandle according to its official website, collaborates with various law enforcement agencies through initiatives such as Project Safe Childhood according to its official website, prosecutes criminal violations as well as handles civil litigation on behalf of the United States across northern Florida's region according to its official website.
