Apr 2, 2021 2 min read

A five-year fugitive from Baltimore, Md., was taken into custody this week near Graysville in Greene County.

According to post on the Greene County District Attorney’s Office Facebook page, Melvin Jessop was staying at a residence in the West Greene area when he was apprehended about 10 a.m. Tuesday by police officers in the district attorney’s major crimes unit.

“He had been in our area for several years, and was believed to be on the run since then,” Greene County District Attorney Dave Russo said in an interview Thursday.

Russo said he received a tip from a confidential informant that “there may be an individual with warrants living in the area.” Upon further investigation, Russo said he discovered a warrant for Jessop issued April 25, 2017, for second-degree assault.

“There was a note on the warrant that he escaped from a Baltimore city jail in 2016,” Russo said. “I am unaware that he’s been charged with anything regarding escape.”

In the Facebook post, Russo said he worked with the state’s attorney in Maryland for an extradition warrant for Jessop. Russo said Jessop’s extradition hearing will be Monday.

The Greene County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the arrest, Russo said.

“I’d like to thank my office staff for working diligently on this matter,” he added.