Robert Frederick Nelson, 64, has been recaptured by police after he escaped from prison 25 years ago. His recapture comes after he applied for a driver’s license under his real name.
What Happened?
Nelson was original jailed by federal authorities in Minnesota for counterfeiting in the late 1980s. He escaped from prison in 1992 and went on to commit a series of violent felonies under a false identity but was caught again last month at a DMV office in Las Vegas.
According to ABC 13, Nelson got himself aught when he applied to renew his driving license under his real name on June 5. Facial recognition software used by the DMV found the same man appeared on another license under the name of Craig James Pautler – one of Nelson’s aliases. Records showed he adopted the Pautler alias shortly after his escape and even obtained a commercial vehicle license.
Under this new name, Nelson continued to break the law. His record included multiple robberies with a deadly weapon, burglaries and another escape from a Nevada holding facility with the use of a weapon.
At some point in the mid-2000s, Nelson reverted back to using his given name and was granted a Nevada state ID card in 2013.
He was arrested at the DMV office in north Las Vegas on June 20, before being handed over to federal authorities last week. He will serve the remaining time on the counterfeiting charge, plus punitive time for the escape attempt. All other charges were dropped to expedite his extradition to federal authorities.
Robert Frederick Nelson
Robert Frederick Nelson is a 64-year-old career criminal who was recently recaptured after escaping from prison in 1992. He will serve the remaining time on the counterfeiting charge, plus punitive time for the escape attempt. All other charges were dropped to expedite his extradition to federal authorities.
