Federal Escapee Sentenced After Hitting Law Enforcement Vehicle During Arrest

             Montgomery, Ala. –    Today, Acting United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart announced that a Montgomery, Alabama man has been sentenced for failing to report back after his work release assignment and running his car into a U.S. Marshals’ vehicle during his arrest. On July 22, 2021, 29-year-old D’Anthony Marquez Dillard was sentenced to 27 months in prison for escaping from federal custody. Following Dillard’s prison sentence, he will serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

            According to court records, in February of 2016 Dillard was sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm and was placed in Bureau of Prisons custody to serve out his term of imprisonment. In June of 2020, Dillard was transferred to a halfway house in Montgomery to complete his sentence where he was allowed to work during the day, then return to the facility in the evening. On September 12, 2020, Dillard failed to report back as required and an arrest warrant was issued for him. On October 15, 2020, the U.S. Marshals Service received a tip concerning Dillard’s location and went to execute the warrant. When Marshals arrived, they spotted Dillard at a gas station in the driver’s seat of a vehicle. The Marshals surrounded Dillard’s vehicle with their own to block him in and prevent escape. Dillard placed his car in reverse and struck the law enforcement vehicle behind him, but quickly gave up when the other vehicles closed in to prevent further movement. Fortunately, no injuries were sustained and there was minimal property damage.

            This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Joel Feil and Joshua Wendell prosecuted the case.