Escaped Florence inmate captured after year on the lam

An inmate who escaped from the Palmer Pre-Release Center more than a year ago was was captured Tuesday night in Johnston County, N.C., according to a press release issued Wednesday by the S.C. Department of Corrections.

Rayshawn James, 29, was behind bars on a drug charge and ran from the minimum-security prison into nearby woods about 5 p.m. June 28, 2008. James started a six-year sentence for crack distribution in September 2007.

James was apprehended by the N.C. Highway Patrol about 8 p.m. Tuesday after fleeing from authorities in an automobile and faces multiple traffic-related violations.

James faces felony escape charges in South Carolina, in addition to the remainder of his six year sentence for crack distribution out of Chesterfield County that he started serving in September 2007. The S.C. Department of Corrections has filed warrants with the Johnston County Detention Center and will extradite James pending the outcome of criminal charges he faces in North Carolina.

Laketa Jinea Brown, 23, of 2230 Honeysuckle Lane, Bennettsville, was arrested Jan. 14 in connection with James’ escape. She is charged with harboring or employing an escaped convict, Florence County Detention Center bookings report show.

According to her arrest warrant, Brown met Rayshawn James on June 28 behind the release center, where he was an inmate, and drove him away. She then drove him to meet another woman in Laurinburg, N.C, according to the warrant.

Authorities said Brown was on James’ inmate visitation list at Palmer and knew he was an inmate at the jail in Effingham.