Greenville County Sheriff's deputies arrest man who escaped from Tennessee prison

An escaped prisoner from Tennessee was caught in Greenville County after law enforcement received a tip on his whereabouts. 

According to an email from Carrie Weimer with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, GCSO deputies arrested Billy Fletcher, 43, at 8:38 p.m. on the Fourth of July.  

According to a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division release, on June 20, Fletcher escaped from the Carter County Detention Center in Tennessee and fled to the Upstate. 

Fletcher was charged in Tennessee with attempted kidnapping, attempted burglary, and assault. Fletcher was serving a three-year sentence after being convicted of violation of probation on the attempted burglary charge. 

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According to the release, he was seen on Monday, June 24, leaving a Walmart on White Horse Road.  

Almost two weeks later, SLED received a tip about his whereabouts, and he was arrested at a gas station on 705 Sulphur Springs Road near White Horse Road.

Law enforcement doesn’t know when Fletcher originally entered Greenville County, and it was also unknown where he stayed during his stay in the Upstate. 

According to Weimer, Fletcher was arrested without incident. The GCSO will hold him at GCDC on a fugitive from justice warrant until officials from Carter County extradite him. No other agencies were on the scene to assist the deputies in Fletcher's arrest.