Sheriff’s Office: Brunswick County man released from jail due to bail bondsman’s mistake

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A Brunswick County man is out of jail just days before his trial after a bail bondsman mistakenly bonded out the wrong inmate, according to the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office.

Patrick Lee Taylor, who was booked into the Brunswick County Detention Center on January 4, 2024, is scheduled to stand trial Monday on multiple charges, including felony possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver cocaine, and habitual felon charges.

According to the sheriff’s office, a bail bondsman posted bond for Taylor but intended to bond out Patrick Mitchell, another inmate with similar charges and a $50,000 bond.

“To be clear, this was not an error on our detention facility’s part,” a sheriff’s office spokeswoman said in a statement. “An inmate was legitimately bonded out by a bail bondsman. It was the bail bondsman who bailed out the wrong inmate.”

Because Taylor’s bond was paid, he is not required to be recaptured unless the bail bondsman surrenders him back to authorities, the sheriff’s office said.

WWAY received a tip suggesting Taylor was being held without bond and should not have been released, but the sheriff’s office confirmed his bond was set at $50,000.

At last check, Mitchell remained in custody.