On November 3, 2015, the U.S. Marshals Service was notified that Wegmann had been detained attempting to enter the country of Cuba. Originally his name was erroneously reported as Shawn Michael Luskey.
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He was expected to be extradited to Iowa where he had previously pleaded not guilty to three charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and three counts of possession of a stolen firearm, according to U.S. Marshals.
Days later, on October 31st, he was detained in Havana Harbor with a boat that had been reported stolen from the Florida Keys, Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies said.
Authorities said Wegmann is the first US fugitive returned by the Cuban government since its recent thaw in relations with the U.S.
Surveillance video from the marina shows a man walking around the marina at about 10:40 p.m. He is seen pulling on several ice storage cooler doors, but each cooler is locked.
Officials say he removed his Global Positioning System ankle monitor in October when he was out on bond and living with his wife in Kirklin.
Authorities think Luskey is the man whose photo was captured by a surveillance camera, as he arrived – inside the stolen boat – in Havana, Cuba at about 5 p.m. the day after the boat was taken.
Cuban authorities caught Wegmann and alerted USA law enforcement.
On December 8th, U.S. Marshals traveled to Jose Marti International Airport where Wegmann was transferred into their custody. They found the device attached to a van bumper in a Sam’s Club parking lot.
He is set to appear in a Miami federal court for an extradition hearing to face criminal charges in Iowa.
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Wegmann’s arrest and expulsion were the result of efforts by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
