WADESBORO — A Richmond County native incarcerated at Anson Correctional Institution is on the run after allegedly leaving a work site.
According to the N.C. Department Adult of Correction, 28-year-old Stephon J. Easterling, of Hamlet, left a work-release job in Wadesboro on Wednesday.
The agency says Easterling was on the off-prison site around 10:20 Wednesday morning but never returned from a break. Witnesses reportedly saw Easterling get into a white Nissan Rogue.
State records show Easterling was convicted last September of being a habitual felon, possessing a Schedule II controlled substance, speeding to elude arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia.
His projected release date was scheduled for Feb. 1, 2024.
Easterling also has prior convictions for breaking and entering, larceny, assault and has previously been incarcerated several times.
The press release describes Easterling as “a thin black male, 6 foot tall, weighing around 200 pounds with black hair and hazel eyes. He has tattoos under both eyes, one of a teardrop and one of a cross, as well as on both arms, both hands, both shoulders and his chest.”
Prison emergency response teams and local law enforcement are currently searching for him.
Anyone with information on Easterling’s whereabouts is encouraged to call 911 or call Anson Correctional Institution at 704-695-1013.
