US Marshals pick up Beaver County fugitive

Robert Alan Hawkins, wanted in Beaver County for running while on furlough before serving a prison sentence, is captured in Nevada, Friday, March 24, 2017 | Photo of Hawkins courtesy of Beaver County Sheriff's Office, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — U.S. Marshals arrested a Beaver County fugitive Thursday after he failed to show up at the jail to be transported to the Utah State prison.

Robert Alan Hawkins was picked up in the Lake Mead area in Clark County, Nevada, by the U.S. Marshals after he failed to check in to the Beaver County Jail Monday at 3 p.m. as ordered by a judge.

He is currently in the Clark County Jail awaiting extradition back to Utah where he will be immediately taken to prison upon his return, Beaver County Sheriff Cameron Noel said.


Read more: Convicted felon given a week furlough before going to prison now fugitive


Hawkins was sentenced to one to 15 years in prison March 14 on three counts of distribution of a controlled substance and one count of possession with intent to distribute, all second-degree felonies. He was originally charged with 13 separate charges. Of those, 11 were first- second- and third-degree felonies involving drug charges including manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamines.

Two of the 13 charges were class B misdemeanors for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. According to court records, Hawkins was found with two female juveniles when arrested.

The 57-year-old is also listed on the Utah sex offender registry for a 1981 conviction in Nevada involving lewdness with a minor under 14 years old.

Hawkins fled the county Monday following a week furlough granted to him on March 14 by 6th District Judge Paul D. Lyman to give him a chance to “get his affairs in order” before going to prison. Lyman was serving as a substitute judge in 5th District Court at the time.

The furlough was part of a plea agreement with the Beaver County Attorney’s Office that agreed to allow Hawkins the leave in exchange for his guilty plea of the four felonies and mandatory prison time.

Lyman, however, was never told of Hawkins’ status as a sex offender prior to agreeing to the furlough, Utah State Courts Communication Director Geoff Fattah said.

Lyman issued a warrant for Hawkins’ arrest immediately after he didn’t show up to the jail. Noel then called U.S. Marshals to assist in capturing the fugitive.

“That’s what they do. Finding and capturing fugitives is their specialty,” Noel said. “So, I just sent out the warrant and put him on the wanted list and called the marshals.”

Hawkins will now face charges for running from jurisdiction and the court-ordered sentence, Noel said.

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Twitter: @tracie_sullivan

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.

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