A federal inmate serving a life sentence was captured in Broward County after escaping from a Georgia jail and allegedly kidnapping a rideshare driver while fleeing to South Florida, federal authorities said.
Stevenson Charles, 24, was apprehended following a multi-agency manhunt that began after his escape from the DeKalb County Jail in Georgia, where he had been transferred from federal custody earlier this month.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Charles had been serving a life sentence for carjacking, kidnapping and multiple robberies before being moved to Georgia state custody on December 5 to await trial on charges connected to a 2022 murder and armed robbery.
Authorities discovered during a routine security check on Monday morning that Charles and two other inmates — Yusuf Minor, 31, and Naod Yohannes, 25 — were missing from the facility.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones described Charles as a “dangerous, violent felon” and praised the rapid response that led to his capture.
“This was a dangerous, violent felon serving a life sentence who escaped custody, kidnapped an innocent victim, crossed state lines, and brought that threat into our community,” Reding Quiñones said.
Court records allege that after escaping, the three men used a rideshare service in Georgia and kidnapped the driver. One suspect is accused of placing a rope around the victim’s neck while another bound the victim’s hands. The driver was then forced into the back seat and compelled to drive the suspects into South Florida while being threatened.
Law enforcement later located Charles driving the victim’s vehicle in Broward County. He allegedly led officers on a vehicle pursuit before fleeing on foot and was captured shortly afterward. A firearm was recovered along the pursuit route, authorities said.
Minor and Yohannes were also taken into custody later that night.
Charles and Yohannes made their initial appearances in federal court in Fort Lauderdale on December 23 on kidnapping charges. Minor is scheduled to appear on December 29.
The investigation is being led by the U.S. Marshals Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with support from the Broward Sheriff’s Office, Miramar Police Department and the City of Miami Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Maultasch is prosecuting the case.
