Charleston man pleads guilty to escape after absconding from reentry facility (DOJ)

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Terrence Lowell Ramsey, 41, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to escape.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Ramsey was in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the Dismas Charities Inc., a residential reentry facility in St. Albans, when he was authorized to spend the weekend with his wife at her residence beginning on April 10, 2026, and was required to return to the facility on April 12, 2026. Ramsey failed to return to the facility as required. Law enforcement officers arrested Ramsey on April 30, 2026, in Charleston after he fled from police on a bicycle and on foot.

Ramsey was serving a sentence at Dismas Charities Inc. for violating the terms of supervised release imposed following his felony conviction for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.

Ramsey is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2027, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Marshals Service, and the Charleston Police Department.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-74.

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