by Ty Tagami | Dec 26, 2025 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA — A federal inmate awaiting trial for murder slipped from the DeKalb County Jail but was swiftly captured in South Florida with two other escapees, federal authorities said Friday.
Stevenson Charles, 24, and Yusuf Minor, 31, made initial appearances in federal court in Fort Lauderdale Tuesday. Naod Yohannes, 25, is scheduled for an initial appearance Monday.
The trio were discovered missing during a security check at the DeKalb jail Monday. They allegedly made their way to Florida by forcing a rideshare driver to take them there, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
“This was a dangerous, violent felon serving a life sentence who escaped custody, kidnapped an innocent victim, crossed state lines, and brought that threat into our community,” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida, said in a statement Friday.
Federal agents coordinated with local law enforcement in Florida, locating Charles driving the kidnapping victim’s vehicle Monday. They captured Charles after a pursuit that ended on foot. They found a firearm along the path of the pursuit, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office in South Florida.
Charles was serving a life sentence for carjacking, kidnapping and robbery when he was transferred to Georgia custody on Dec. 5 for trial on charges related to a 2022 murder and armed robbery, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
