A Seattle man fled the United States with his 9-year-old son on a sailboat last fall , taking his son thousands of miles away to the island nation of Niue , northeast of New Zealand . Jeffrey Ford Hanson pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of international parental kidnapping . Hanson 's friends reportedly told police that the father had issues with alcohol and drugs , including crystal methamphetamine and oxycontin . Hanson 's son , 9-year-old Billy , was visiting his father in July and was supposed to be sent back to his mother in Pennsylvania on Sept. 4 , but the boy was not on the flight . The boy 's mother contacted authorities and they issued a U.S. federal arrest warrant on Sept. 12 . Family : Jeffrey Ford Hanson fled the United States with his 9-year-old son Billy on a sailboat last fall . Taking off : Hanson and his son were on his boat 'Draco ' ( pictured ) Hanson and the boy 's mother were divorced , but he had monthly visitation rights for up to six consecutive days , according to court records . Authorities found Hanson and the boy on Oct. 29 on Niue , which is located in the South Pacific Ocean and is northeast of New Zealand . They took Hanson into custody and worked to reunite the boy with his mother in Hazleton , Pennsylvania . Hanson 's friends told Seattle Police Detective Bryan Van Brunt that Hanson lived on a boat , was dangerous and had a history of alcohol and drug abuse , according to an affidavit attached to a criminal complaint . One friend , Carey Jambresic , told Van Brunt that Hanson planned to take the boy by boat to Washington 's San Juan Islands . Jambresic told the detective that the boy could not swim and said Hanson was actively smoking crystal methamphetamine , taking oxycontin and drinking alcohol , the affidavit said . Another friend , Dawnya Robinson , told the detective that Hanson sent her a text message saying he was leaving the country , going to Mexico and taking his son , the affidavit said . Discovery : Authorities found Billy and his father on Oct. 29 on the island country of Niue , located in the South Pacific Ocean , northeast of New Zealand . Hanson told another friend that he had enough money to keep his boat , Draco , afloat , and made references to Cape Horn on the southern tip of South America . Hanson was brought back to the U.S. in November where he was formally charged in a Los Angeles federal court . He was then moved to Seattle . He pleaded not guilty on Dec. 18 in U.S. District Court in Seattle and his trial was set for Feb. 17 . It was later moved to May 11 , but during a hearing early Monday , he changed his plea to guilty . Sentencing was set for June 6 . Hanson faces up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of $ 250,000 .
Jeffrey Ford Carey Jambresic fled the United States with his 9-year-old son Billy on a sailboat last fall . Billy was visiting in July and was supposed to be sent back to his mother in Pennsylvania on September 4 , but the boy was not on the flight . Authorities found Carey Jambresic and his son on October 29 on the island country of Niue , located in the South Pacific Ocean . Carey Jambresic 's friends told Seattle police that Carey Jambresic lived on a boat , was dangerous and had a history of alcohol and drug abuse . Friend Hanson said the boy could not swim and said Carey Jambresic was actively smoking crystal methamphetamine , taking oxycontin and drinking .