Sioux City Man Who Escaped from Custody Pleads Guilty in Federal Court

A man who escaped custody pled guilty June 30, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.

Curtis Koesters, 45, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of escape from custody.

At the plea hearing, Koesters admitted that in October 2024, he began pre-release confinement at the Dismas Charities Residential Reentry Center in Sioux City, Iowa.  Koesters had been in federal prison for a previous federal conviction of felon in possession of a firearm.  On November 4, 2024, Koesters did not return to the Center as required after leaving to look for employment.  In December 2024, after several weeks on the run, Koesters was arrested in Woodbury County, Iowa, and charged with multiple traffic violations.  

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Koesters remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Koesters faces a possible maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

The case was investigated by U.S. Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-4087.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.