Federal Prisoner Escapes In Greene County…Manhunt Underway

A man with a lengthy criminal history is now on the loose. 52 year old Sean Williams, who is facing numerous felony charges including child pornography and drug charges escaped from a jail transport vehicle Wednesday morning in Greeneville. Williams is accused of numerous felony sexually related crimes in Johnson City, plus had been caught in Sylva, NC selling drugs on or near the campus of Western Carolina University.
Williams was in federal custody and was being held in Laurel County, Kentucky. Two Laurel County jail transport officers were transporting Williams from London, Ky. to a scheduled appearance in federal court in Greeneville for Wednesday afternoon. Williams was able to get out of his restraints and kicked out the back window of the transport van, where he then escaped. Williams escaped in the Summer Street area of Greeneville. He was last seen around 8:30 yesterday morning. Schools in Greeneville were placed in lockdown as US Marshals, The FBI, the Tennessee Highway patrol and local Greene County authorities began searching. That search included helicopters, drones and door-to-door searches.
According to an affidavit from the FBI, a Laurel County detention deputy “arrived at the sally port area of the (federal) Greeneville Courthouse.” A sally port is a security measure with doors at two ends allowing a person in custody to be brought in one door and have that door close before the other opens. The detention officer went to the back of the van, found the back window had been kicked out and Williams was missing.
Williams remains at large this morning. David Jolley, the head U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Tennessee says an investigation into Williams escape is underway. Jolley says anyone who may have assisted Williams or was negligent in their duties that may have facilitated the escape will be held responsible and will be prosecuted. Williams is 52 years old and is now bald-headed. He was last seen wearing jail type clothing.