Convicted spammer Edward 'Eddie' Davidson has escaped from a federal prison camp after serving just five weeks of a 21-month sentence.

Davidson was convicted of sending millions of spam messages promoting penny stocks which he then traded when the price rose. Police estimate that he made over $3m before he was caught.

After his conviction for tax evasion and falsifying email headers Davidson was fined $714,139 and had gold coins and property seized by the authorities. Coincidentally the coins are being auctioned off by the IRS today.

Davidson absconded on Sunday from a minimum security facility in Florence, Colorado.

"He jumped in the car with his wife," Will Cochenour of Lakewood Police told The Rocky Mountain News.

"When they were leaving, he forced her in the car, brought them home and left after a change in clothing. He's still at large."

US marshals are leading the search for Davidson assisted by the FBI, IRS and the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force.