Granville County prison inmate who said he escaped because of COVID-19 turns himself in

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Former Butner prison inmate describes life inside a coronavirus hot zone

"It was chaos," the former Butner prison inmate said. "The Bureau of Prisons has no clue what to do about COVID-19."

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A man who escaped from a Granville County prison has been taken in by authorities.

Richard Cephas was arrested on Monday by U.S. Marshals. Cephas turned himself in at the Federal Courthouse in Delaware, more than two weeks after he escaped from the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner.

Citing a fear of COVID-19 and the prison's perceived inability to contain it, the 54-year-old Cephas escaped around April 1.

Cephas is currently pending transfer back to the Eastern District of North Carolina (EDNC) to face escape charges.

Cephas was in jail on charges of Conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine. In June 2017, Cephas was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison.

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