Fargo, North Dakota Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Escape

Sioux Falls - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Fargo, North Dakota man convicted of Escape. The sentencing took place on May 18, 2026.

Traye Mjelde, 29, was sentenced to one year in federal prison and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Mjelde was indicted for Escape by a federal grand jury in August 2025. He pleaded guilty on March 16, 2026.

Mjelde was initially sentenced to 30 months in federal prison after being convicted of possessing a firearm after a felony conviction. In April 2025, the Bureau of Prisons transferred him to a residential reentry center in Sioux Falls to finish the remaining term of his sentence. Mjelde walked away from the facility without authorization about two weeks later. Law enforcement found Mjelde approximately one month later and arrested him.

This case was investigated by United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

Mjelde was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.