NEW ORLEANS — A man was captured after escaping the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office Intake and Processing Center early Saturday morning.
According to the sheriff’s office, Mark Nicholson, who was later identified as a former Drug Enforcement Agency agent, was arrested by NOPD for trespassing and for an outstanding theft warrant from Jefferson Parish. The sheriff’s office says he was released on a recognizance bond on the trespassing charges, but was awaiting a disposition from Jefferson Parish authorities on the theft warrant.
Nicholson made his way through the sally port area of the intake undetected and left shortly after midnight, the sheriff’s office says.
He was captured three hours later near his home by Investigative Services Bureau agents. He was rebooked on simple escape charges and will be on an elevated custody level due to his actions and his former law enforcement experience, according to OPSO.
The incident will be investigated, and corrective actions or disciplinary proceedings will proceed if necessary, the sheriff’s office says.