Omaha, Nebraska – A Nebraska man is facing additional time behind bars after a federal court found that he failed to return to custody during a temporary release and remained on the run for months before being located in Omaha.
Jackson Williams, 41, of Omaha, was sentenced on March 13, 2026, in federal court for escaping from federal custody. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. ordered Williams to serve 40 months in federal prison. Officials confirmed that there is no parole in the federal system, and once he completes this sentence, Williams will begin a three-year term of supervised release. The conviction followed a federal jury verdict on December 3, 2025.
Escape During Approved Furlough
At the time of the incident, Williams was already serving a 90-month federal sentence after being convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was housed at the United States Penitentiary in Florence, Colorado, when he applied for a furlough.
The furlough was approved on December 18, 2024, allowing Williams to travel from Colorado to Omaha as part of a transition process. As part of the agreement, Williams was required to sign, date, and provide a thumbprint acknowledging the terms of his temporary release.
Among the conditions, Williams acknowledged that he remained in the custody of the United States Attorney General and that failure to follow instructions could result in an escape charge.
The furlough required Williams to travel unaccompanied using public transportation paid for by the facility. Upon arriving in Omaha, he was instructed to take a taxi to Dismas Charities, a residential reentry center where he was expected to report.
However, Williams never arrived at the facility.
Declared Escapee and Months on the Run
On January 10, 2025, officials at USP Florence filed a notice of escape after learning that Williams had failed to report. According to the notice, staff at Dismas Charities confirmed on January 9, 2025, that Williams had not shown up, had not made contact, and that his whereabouts were unknown.
For months, Williams remained missing.
The search continued until July 2025, when law enforcement began to receive leads about his possible location. Deputy United States Marshals followed up on information suggesting Williams had been seen near the Sienna Francis House in late June.
Later that month, on July 28, 2025, Omaha Police officers patrolling near 28th and Pinkney streets received information that a wanted federal fugitive was living in a wooded area near a park.
Arrest and Evidence Recovered
Officers soon located Williams standing near a picnic table at the northeast corner of the park. When approached, he confirmed his identity and was informed that he had an active warrant. He was taken into custody without incident, ending the months-long search.
At the time of his arrest, Williams was holding a phone. On the nearby picnic table, officers observed another phone, a cigarette box, and a brown cross-body bag. Williams claimed that everything on the table belonged to him except the bag.
A search of the bag revealed items that linked directly to him, including credit cards and a federal prison identification card bearing his name and photo. Officers also discovered two small baggies of methamphetamine, weighing .5 grams and .7 grams, along with a drug pipe.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service, with assistance from the Omaha Police Department.
Williams now faces additional prison time as a result of his decision not to return to custody, bringing closure to a case that began with a temporary release and ended with a fugitive arrest months later.
