Fugitive Found in California After Evading Police for Three Decades

A fugitive who fled a California prison in the mid-’90s has been apprehended after evading police for more than 30 years, officials said.

Ronald Keith Harvey, 79, was sentenced to 60 months in FCI Dublin after 600 marijuana plants and several guns were found on his property, according to ABC7. He managed to escape the prison in 1994 and was discovered 31 years later living in Nevada City, California, 150 miles away from the prison he escaped from.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Cruz Moya, who has been in charge of the case since 2024, told SFGate the breakthrough discovery came following a data sweep which led to a new address.

The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office has been contacted via email for comment.

Why It Matters

Moya’s determination in locating Harvey is a warning to other escapees that no matter how much time has passed, they still run the risk of being re-apprehended by police.

What To Know

Harvey’s apprehension was made public after the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) posted to social media about it on June 12.

The NCSO made this post due to the concerns of citizens “in light of heightened tensions surrounding federal enforcement activities in California.” They made the public aware that the police presence in Grass Valley “had no nexus to immigration.”

He is now an inmate in Nevada County. Police have not said at this time whether he returned to marijuana production after escaping prison.

Harvey was living with and paying rent to a woman named DeeVee Brown when he was caught by police. According to Brown, she had no idea there was a warrant out for his arrest, per ABC7 reporting.

Although marijuana is now legal in California, it is only legal to grow a maximum of six plants at home, so Harvey’s farm of over 600 plants would still be against the law today.

The prison Harvey escaped from, FCI Dublin, was shut down in 2024 following an investigation into sexual abuse at the prison. However, the Trump administration has now floated the idea of reopening the prison as an holding facility for detainees from ICE raids.

The investigation found that female inmates were subjected to sexual misconduct and abuse at the hands of correctional officers. The Department of Justice (DOJ) also found that at least one of the eight officers accused of committing the abuse would retaliate against his victims who tried to speak out against him with physical violence and intimidation.

What People Are Saying

Deputy U.S. Marshal Cruz Moya told SFGate: “These guys are always looking over their shoulder. And we’re not going to stop until we get you.”

Deevee Brown, Harvey’s landlord, told ABC7: “I was very shocked, of course. He had his own room. He paid rent every month to me.”

Nevada County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook: “In light of heightened tensions surrounding federal enforcement activities in California, and to ease concerns of citizens inquiring into the presence of federal marshals in Grass Valley today, we wanted to inform the community that the US Federal Marshal Fugitive Apprehension Team was in our area to serve a felony arrest warrant on a fugitive, stemming from a 1990’s prison escape from Dublin, California, and had no nexus to immigration. That subject was arrested without incident.”

What Happens Next

Harvey had four years left on his prison sentence, so he may have to serve those four years plus an additional sentence if found guilty of absconding. This sentence will be determined by the courts.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual violence, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673, or contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) helpline via their website rainn.org.