A man who allegedly fled from an agent’s office at Mower County Correctional Services after testing positive for drugs was charged in Mower County District Court for allegedly failing to register as a predatory offender on Tuesday.

Robert Edward Collins, 41, was charged with felony failure to register as a predatory offender.

According to the court report, Collins went to the Law Enforcement Center to fill  out a change of information form regarding his address on July 17.

He told an officer he was changing it from his mother’s Rochester address to the Sterling Motel. He listed the Rochester address as his secondary address. The officer understood that his move to the Sterling Motel was being arranged by Mower County Correctional Services.

Shortly after Collins left the Law Enforcement Center, the officer heard radio traffic alerting that Collins had fled MCCS and there was probable cause for his arrest.

Collins was arrested during a traffic stop on July 18.  The investigating officer learned that MCCS had not arranged for Collins to live at the Sterling Motel, as that was Collins’ responsibility to arrange his own accommodations.

The officer then spoke to Collins, who said he fled MCCS because he was told he would be sent to jail after he tested “dirty” for drugs. He told the officer he was “hanging around” but never got a room at the Sterling Motel because he did not have any money.

The owner of the Sterling Motel told the officer that Collins had stayed at the Motel from July 12-14, providing receipts he had given to Collins.

Collins’ parole officer told the officer that Collins told her he would be living at his mother’s Rochester address. His mother, however, said that he had not stayed with her since his release from the Olmsted County Jail on July 11. She said that her lease did not allow her to have men living at her apartment.

The officer checked the Predatory Offender Registration website and found that Collins had filled out a change of information form four times. The final form listed his primary address as his mother’s Rochester address.

Collins is currently awaiting trial on two other matters regarding him failing to register as a predatory offender.

Collins is scheduled to appear in court again for this case on Aug. 21.