An inmate at Newton Correctional Facility was on the loose for roughly nine hours Thursday, escaping from a minimum-security work detail at the prison.
Scott Allan Plummer, 36, was discovered missing at approximately 6:05 a.m. and wasn’t located until about 3:30 p.m., hiding in a closet in an apartment in Newton, DOC spokesman Fred Scaletta said.
According to the DOC, the 5th Judicial District Warrant Team made the arrest, with the Correctional Emergency Response Team and canine unit also taking part in apprehension efforts. Full details of how Plummer was retrieved have yet to be released as an investigation into the escape is ongoing.
Plummer has a lengthy rap sheet and is currently serving a sentence that has a maximum term of 45 years, Scalletta said, after being convicted of taking part in prohibited acts, which included the manufacturing, delivery and conspiracy with intent to deliver meth in Marion and Polk counties.
In addition to running afoul of the law, Plummer also has a history of disappearing. In October of 2005, he was found absent at a work release facility at Fort Des Moines.
However, this is the first time Plummer escaped from prison, Scaletta said.
Exactly how Plummer disappeared is still unclear. Placed in a minimum security work detail, he was under the employment of Rock Communications. It was around the time of a guard shift change that Plummer is believed to have escaped, Scaletta said.
The Security Department of Newton Correctional Facility is currently in charge of the investigation, Scaletta said. When that investigation concludes, information will be handed over to County Attorney Mike Jacobsen and Plummer could face additional charges.