POLK COUNTY (trfnews.i234.me) — A Grand Forks man has been charged with felony escape from custody after a medical furlough.
According to a Polk County District Court complaint, Cory Alexander Shuler, 37, left the Northwest Regional Corrections Center for a medical visit.
The release was court-authorized for a hospital appointment. The order required an immediate return after the visit.
Shuler had signed a furlough form earlier in July. The form warned that failure to return could mean an escape charge.
On the morning of July 17, the release began. Corrections staff later checked the appointment status with the hospital.
Staff learned he had checked out around mid-morning the next day. They could not reach him by phone.
A relative reported giving Shuler a ride to an apartment in Grand Forks. That location was not approved by the furlough.
Shuler called the jail mid-afternoon. He claimed he had been waiting outside the hospital for hours.
He returned to the jail around 5:00 p.m., the complaint says. A urine sample screened positive for methamphetamine.
Prosecutors allege he left the approved route and failed to return on time. They say both acts violated the furlough terms.
The charge is Escape from Custody, a felony under Minn. Stat. 609.485. The maximum penalty is five years and a $10,000 fine.
At the time, Shuler was jailed on multiple felony drug cases in Polk County. Those filings include first-degree counts, according to the complaint.
The Northwest Regional Corrections Center is operated by Tri-County Community Corrections. The approved medical provider was Altru Hospital in Grand Forks.
Court records say the furlough required a direct return to NWRCC. Any deviation could be treated as an escape.
Shuler is charged by warrant and remains presumed innocent. A first appearance will be set on the district court calendar.
Case information is available through Minnesota Court Records Online. Charging decisions are handled by the Polk County Attorney’s Office.
For custody and visiting rules, see the NWRCC site above. For state sentencing details, consult the Minnesota Revisor link.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
