Mistakenly Released Baltimore Convict Caught In W.Va.

VIA WBAL:

A man wrongly released from a Baltimore prison Thursday has been taken into custody by authorities in Martinsburg, W.Va.

Meanwhile, a second man whose name and identity were used by the suspect — and who was to be released after serving a two-year sentence — has been charged with conspiracy.

Prison officials said Raymond Taylor, 26, was freed from the Maryland Correctional Adjustment Center after a mix-up between inmates. Taylor was serving a life sentence for attempted murder.

He was taken into custody without incident Friday at the home of a friend in Martinsburg, and he will be extradicted to Maryland. The task force that caught him included Baltimore city and Maryland state police.

Officials said Taylor was released Thursday afternoon after he passed himself off as a different inmate.

“Inmate Raymond Taylor reported to the front of the cell and handed the officer the ID card presenting himself as William Johnson,” said Michael Stouffer, commissioner of the Maryland Division of Correction.

“The inmate was asked to verbally give his ID number as this officer checked the numbers against the ID card. Taylor recited numbers belonging to inmate Johnson, and the officer removed the inmate from the cell and escorted this inmate to the control center.”

The mistake was discovered at about 3:45 p.m.

Johnson now has been charged with conspiracy and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. He was to be released Thursday after serving a two-year sentence for burglary and assault in Baltimore city.

In a prepared statement, Division of Correction spokesman Mark Vernarelli said the two inmates have “similar physical characteristics.”

The prison is a former “Supermax” facility that’s currently used to house inmates who are awaiting court appearances or moving from one prison to another. Taylor was apparently scheduled to appear in court and had been moved to the facility on Thursday.

Online court records show Taylor was convicted in 2005 of three counts of attempted first-degree murder and related counts, including assault and handgun crimes.

Division of Correction officials are investigating the release of Taylor.

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