DOC inmate who fled Lino Lakes work crew back in custody
Michael L. Vang, 41, removed his GPS monitor and fled a Minnesota Department of Corrections community work crew site around 9 a.m., and has been taken back into custody, officials said.
The Department of Corrections said Vang was serving a Hennepin County sentence for a weapons-possession offense and was classified as minimum custody. He removed his GPS monitoring device and fled the Plymouth work site at about 9 a.m., officials said. Investigators said they believe he may have received transportation help and warned anyone who aided him could face criminal prosecution.
The episode traces back to his 2024 conviction in Hennepin County for felony possession of a firearm by an ineligible person, which resulted in a 60-month sentence. That conviction followed a 2022 felony drug possession conviction in Ramsey County.
Early FOX 9 coverage asked the public for help locating an escaped inmate from a Lino Lakes work crew. Follow-up reporting identified the escapee as Michael L. Vang and confirmed he has been returned to custody.
đ Relevant Data
In 2024, Michael L. Vang was convicted in Hennepin County of felony possession of a firearm by an ineligible person and sentenced to 60 months in prison, following a 2022 felony drug possession conviction in Ramsey County.
St. Paul man incarcerated in Lino Lakes wanted after escaping from work crew in Plymouth â Twin Cities Pioneer Press
The escape occurred in Plymouth, Minnesota, a city with a median household income of $136,534 (2020-2024) and a poverty rate of 4.3%, compared to Minnesota's statewide median household income of $84,313 (2018-2022) and poverty rate of 9.6%.
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Plymouth city, Minnesota â U.S. Census Bureau
As of July 1, 2025, Asian individuals comprise 2.7% of Minnesota's adult prison population, compared to 5.06% of the state's overall population.
Adult Prison Population Summary 07/01/2025 â Minnesota Department of Corrections
đ Key Facts
- The escapee has been identified as 41-year-old Michael L. Vang.
- Vang was serving a Hennepin County sentence for a weapons-possession offense and was classified as minimum custody.
- He removed his GPS monitoring device and fled an Institution Community Work Crew job site at around 9 a.m.
- The Department of Corrections says Vang has been returned to custody.
- Investigators believe he may have received transportation assistance; officials warn anyone who aided him could face criminal prosecution.
đ° Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Identifies the escapee as 41-year-old Michael L. Vang.
- Confirms Vang was serving a Hennepin County sentence for a weapons-possession offense and classified as minimum custody.
- Details that he removed his GPS monitoring device and fled around 9 a.m. from an Institution Community Work Crew job site.
- Reports that DOC now says Vang has been taken back into custody.
- Notes investigators believe he may have received transportation assistance from another person, and warns that anyone who aided him could face criminal prosecution.