May 15th, 2018 by WCBC Radio
On Monday May 14, 2018 at approximately 7:10am a Minimum Security Work Release Road Crew inmate from the Allegany County Detention Center walked away from his work site at the Allegany County Fairgrounds. The inmate identified as 32 year old James Richard Lease was last seen running north by the baseball fields wearing his green pants, green shirt, green sweatshirt, and work boots. Lease was assigned to the supervised minimum security work detail and was serving a local sentence. A K9 search conducted by the K9 Division of the Maryland Department of Corrections was conducted which provided additional information into Lease's direction of travel.
Investigators learned that Lease's girlfriend, Amber Peebles, reportedly had an appointment to view an apartment on Monday morning around 7:30am in Bowling Green near the Fairgrounds. Contact was made with the owner of the apartment building and he advised that he had no appointments scheduled for that time.
The Mineral County Sheriff's Office, the West Virginia State Police, and the Keyser City Police Department checked Peebles' residence in Keyser shortly after 12pm noon, but James was not there.
An investigation revealed that Lease made it to the Westernport area with help from accomplices. The Allegany County Sheriff's Office responded to the residence of John Comeau of Philos Avenue in Westernport but James was not located there.
The Allegany County State's Attorney's Office made contact with people involved in Lease's recent court cases to advise them of his status.
Arrest warrants were obtained for the following people in relation to Lease's escape:
James Richard Lease, Amber Dawn Peebles, and John Franklin Comeau.
In the morning hours of Tuesday May 15, 2018 an Investigator with the Allegany County Sheriff's Office worked with the Mineral County Sheriff's Office in conducting surveillance of a residence in Keyser, WV.
Mineral County Sheriff's Deputies and Keyser City Police Officers were able to locate Amber Peebles at the residence to serve her arrest warrant, and upon searching her residence located Lease who was hiding inside. Also inside of the residence was Jesse Alexander Lease who had an Arrest Warrant for VOP out of Allegany County, Maryland. All subjects were taken into custody without incident and are currently being held at the Potomac Highlands Regional Jail.
At the same time as the arrests in Keyser, WV there were Allegany County Sheriff's Deputies serving the arrest warrant on John Comeau in Westernport, MD.
Criminal Charges are as follows:
James Richard Lease: First Degree Escape; Held on Detainer bond at the Potomac Highlands Regional Jail in Augusta, WV
Amber Dawn Peebles: Accessory after the fact, Conspiracy First Degree Escape, Conspiracy Escape from Work Program, Held on $5,000 bond at the Potomac Highlands Regional Jail in Augusta, WV
John Franklin Comeau: Accessory after the fact, Conspiracy First Degree Escape, Obstructing and Hindering, False Statement to an Officer; Held without Bond at the Allegany County Detention Center
The Allegany County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Mineral County Sheriff's Office, West Virginia State Police, Keyser City Police Department, and the K9 Division of the Maryland Department of Corrections.
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