Offender who walked away from Wake County work detail back in custody after nearly 8-hour search

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- An offender who walked away from a work detail was back in custody nearly eight hours after he disappeared.

Thomas Swann, 44, slipped away from his job assignment on Schieffelin Road in Apex around noon Wednesday.

As darkness fell, prison emergency response teams and local law enforcement officers were still searching for Swann.

He was finally caught around 7:45 p.m. by a member of the Prison Emergency Response Team and his canine.

Swann, 44, is a minimum custody offender serving a seven-year sentence at Sanford Correctional Center for habitual breaking and entering.

He was scheduled for release on March 25, 2027.

After a law enforcement officer saw someone on foot along U.S. Route 1 south of Apex, Swann was found hiding under some plastic. He was taken into custody without incident.

Swann, who is originally from Cumberland County, will be taken to a high-security prison and charged with escape.

Law officers used a drone in their efforts to find Swann. Later, K-9 officers were brought in to help with the search.

Authorities did not say what level of supervision was on the job detail or how Swann managed to escape notice.