By Ariana Bindman
SFGate
DUBLIN, Calif. — After evading law enforcement for three decades, a 79-year-old fugitive from Northern California has been apprehended — and according to law enforcement, he had been living a quiet, normal life about 150 miles away from the controversial Bay Area prison he fled.
Ronald Keith Harvey escaped FCI Dublin in 1994 after he was incarcerated for running a massive marijuana operation, officials told SFGATE on Tuesday. According to Deputy U.S. Marshal Cruz Moya, who’s been in charge of Harvey’s case since 2024, his sprawling grow-op had more than 600 plants, as well as firearms. Though Harvey’s disappearance has mystified law enforcement for years, Moya’s team finally got a new lead in 2025 after conducting a data sweep and finding a new potential address associated with Harvey. Eventually, this led authorities to Harvey’s location about 150 miles away in Nevada City. According to the county’s inmate database, he was booked on June 12.
Formerly a low-security prison for female inmates, FCI Dublin gained national attention when “Desperate Housewives” actress Felicity Huffman and “Full House” star Lori Loughlin were incarcerated at the facility following the Varsity Blues scandal of 2019. Then, in 2022, the Associated Press released a bombshell investigative report on the alleged rampant sexual abuse at the prison. In 2024, FCI Dublin permanently shuttered.
Overall, Cruz says that his department’s determination is what ultimately led them to solving the decades-old mystery surrounding Harvey.
“These guys are always looking over their shoulder,” Cruz told SFGATE over the phone. “And we’re not going to stop until we get you.”
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