Wilmington man who escaped prison pleads guilty

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man plead guilty Friday to multiple charges including to escape from state prison.

35-year-old Steve Singleton was sentenced to spend the next five to eight years in jail.

He pleaded guilty for several charges including Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle, Felony Fleeing to Elude Arrest, Resisting a Public Officer, and having attained the status of a Habitual Felon.

Last July, Singleton was an inmate at New Hanover Correctional Center, serving a sentence for numerous counts of Habitual Misdemeanor Assault and Felony Larceny. During the inmate count, corrections officers notice that Singleton was not present. Prison staff found a jacket draped over the razor wire fence that surrounds the prison, and immediately began searching for Singleton. Singleton was captured five days later after local police officers saw him in a stolen vehicle. After being chased by law enforcement, Singleton crashed the car and fled on foot. He was apprehended shortly thereafter and returned to the Department of Adult Corrections.