Fugitive Who Fled To Cuba Brought Back To Florida
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- A U.S. fugitive who fled to Cuba made his way back to South Florida -- accompanied by U.S. Marshals.
Shawn Michael Luskey or Shawn Wegmann, 38, arrived in South Florida Tuesday after being detained back in October.
"We had no issues ," said one of the officials. "It was a 45 minute trip."
Wegmann was wanted by the authorities in Iowa from a warrant stemming from felony firearm charges.
"Wegmann is the first fugitive who has been returned to the United States by the Cuban government after fleeing to Cuba since diplomatic relations began nearly a year ago," said U.S. Marshal Amos Rojas Jr.
Marshals said with the restoring of diplomatic ties between both nations they hope he is the first ina long line of fugitives brought to justice.
Wegmann had been staying with his spouse in Indiana while out on bond but somehow removed his GPS ankle monitor. It was later found on the bumper of a van in a Sam's Club parking lot prompting a warrant for his arrest.
Days later, on October 31st, he was detained in Havana Harbor with a boat that had been reported stolen from the Florida Keys, Monroe County Sheriff's deputies said.
The owner of a white 13-foot Boston Whaler had reported the boat stolen.
Officers said during their investigation, they got surveillance video that showed a man wearing a full wet suit at the Murray Marina on Stock Island just before 11 p.m.
In the video, the man pulls on several storage coolers that are locked, then walks off camera. Moments later, the boat is seen leaving its slip but no one could be seen on board.
On November 3rd, a Coast Guard investigator notified deputies that Cuban Border Guards had detained Wegmann.
Photos sent by Cuban authorities showed the boat had Florida numbers which matched the stolen boat and showed Wegmann in a full wet suit like the one from the video.
On December 8th, U.S. Marshals traveled to Jose Marti International Airport where Wegmann was transferred into their custody.
He is set to appear in a Miami federal court for an extradition hearing to face criminal charges in Iowa.
Wegmann is facing three counts of felon in possession of a firearm and three counts of possession of a stolen firearm.
