Columbia man charged with helping in SC prisoner escape

Lexington authorities charged Ronald Joseph Bonnette, 45, of Columbia, with helping prisoner Gene Rutland of Lexington ‘escape’ during a work release program and providing drugs to him earlier in the year, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.

Bonnette, a civilian, was responsible for supervising Rutland while the inmate did work release landscaping work. He allegedly took Rutland places the inmate was not allowed to go under work release.

“The breaking of those figurative four walls of the prison is the basis of Bonnette's aiding an escape charge” sheriff department spokesman Adam Myrick said in an email

Rutland is currently being held at the state prison in Turbeville.

Bonnette was at the Lexington County Detention Center Thursday night awaiting a bond hearing on charges of aiding an escape from prison, criminal conspiracy, furnishing a prisoner with contraband and obstruction of justice.

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 6:54 PM.