Escaped N.C. inmates armed and dangerous, FBI says

Federal and local officials teamed up to search for two inmates who escaped detention in northern North Carolina on Wednesday afternoon. Authorities offered a combined $40,000 for information leading to the arrests of Michael Lewis Miles Jr. and Lishawn Knott, according to a Thursday statement from the FBI. Investigators released footage of the pair in orange jumpsuits running through a prison hallway. Digital billboards are going up across the state to locate the pair who are considered armed and dangerous, officials said.

Officials described Miles, age 33, as having a broad neck tattoo. Knott, 21, has a large cross tattooed on his forehead along with several other face tattoos, according to the FBI. Each of the two men is around six feet tall and well under 200 pounds. State, local, and federal agencies were working to track down the duo, but homeowners and businesses are advised to keep all garage doors, sheds, and vehicles locked, the FBI added.

How did they escape? As of Friday, officials had not detailed how the escape occurred, but did confirm that it happened midday on Wednesday. The pair knew each other before their latest arrests, according to a Thursday statement from the Vance County Sheriff’s Office.

What are the inmates charged with? The pair was being held at Vance County Detention Center for state drug trafficking and gun-related charges. Authorities charged Miles last month for possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver marijuana, fentanyl, heroin, and meth, state court records showed. He also received several individual fentanyl and meth trafficking charges, along with a felony firearm charge. Meanwhile, Knott also received a felony firearm possession charge in March, along with separate charges for drug possession and possession of a stolen vehicle, court records showed. They are presumed innocent of the charges until convicted in court.