Probe Continues Into Pittsburg County Escape

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) _ Pittsburg County authorities are continuing to search for a jail inmate who escaped earlier this month after using a cell phone belonging to the county's treasurer. Pittsburg

Monday, December 17th 2007, 6:11 am

By: News On 6

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) _ Pittsburg County authorities are continuing to search for a jail inmate who escaped earlier this month after using a cell phone belonging to the county's treasurer. Pittsburg County Sheriff Jerome Amaranto says 25-year-old James Bever of McAlester fled December 4th from the Pittsburg County Courthouse while working as a trusty with the Pittsburg County Treasurer's Office.

According to a police affidavit, Bever used Pittsburg County Treasurer Cerita Morley's cell phone to make a phone call shortly before his escape.

Morley declined to comment on Bever's escape to the McAlester News-Capital and refused to say whether she loaned Bever her cell phone.

Court documents show Bever was sentenced in November to 10 years in prison after being convicted of first-degree burglary, assault and battery and malicious injury to property.