SALEM (AP) — Lyndal Ritterbush is a step closer to returning to the state he escaped from more than 20 years ago.

Ritterbush, 62, pleaded guilty Tuesday to identity theft, admitting in Marion County Circuit Court that he stole his brother-in-law’s identity after fleeing a Utah prison in 1985.

Judge Joseph Ochoa sentenced Ritterbush to six months in Marion County Jail for the crime. Utah officials, however, can now take Ritterbush because he has waived extradition.

“Whenever Utah wants to take him, they’re free to do that,” said Dan Wren, Ritterbush’s defense attorney.

A Utah court convicted Ritterbush of incest in 1983, a crime for which he was paroled about a year later. Months after his release, Ritterbush returned to prison on a conviction of aggravated sexual abuse of a child. In both cases, the victims were his underage daughters.

Following his escape, Ritterbush spent most of his time living in Oregon under an assumed name. He was found Nov. 1 after his brother-in-law reported that his name had been used to obtain credit cards.

Utah prison officials will start the process to return Ritterbush to their state this week, said Jack Ford, spokesman for the Utah Department of Corrections.

“We’ll get up there as soon as possible, now that he is ready to leave Oregon,” Ford said.

Ritterbush had served one year of a sentence of five years-to-life when he escaped, Ford said. He’ll serve another four years, and then the state’s Board of Pardons and Parole will begin regularly reviewing his case to see if he should be released.

Ritterbush would serve his Oregon sentence concurrent with his time remaining in Utah, but Ford said Ritterbush will likely also be charged with escape.

“We do like to send a message,” Ford said. “We do like to let people know you will be charged with escape.”