A 27-year-old Blacksburg man sentenced last summer in Cherokee County General Sessions Court walked away from a minimum security state prison Wednesday in Rock Hill and now faces a felony escape charge when caught.

According to Josh Gelinas, spokesman for the state Department of Corrections, Chucky James Elmore Jr., 27, was being held at the minimum-security Catawba Pre-Release Center in Rock Hill when he walked away at about noon. He had not been captured as of Thursday afternoon.

Elmore, whose had various Blacksburg addresses listed in court records, was wearing a tan uniform stenciled with “SCDC” and “SC Department of Corrections” at the time of his escape.

Elmore has brown eyes, brown hair and stands 5 feet, 7 inches tall. He weighs about 180 pounds. He has visible tattoos on both sides of his neck.

According to the Department of Corrections, Elmore started serving an eightyear prison sentence out of Cherokee County on June 17, 2009.

Cherokee County Court Records show Elmore had pleaded guilty to a 3rd offense property crime in January 2006 and was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment, suspended to 24 months, and five years of probation. In July 2009, court records show his probation was revoked due to a violation and his prison sentence was reinstated.

Court records further indicate he pleaded guilty Aug. 11, 2009, to the charge of grand larceny.

Anyone with information about Elmore’s whereabouts is asked to call the Department of Corrections’ fugitive apprehension unit at (877) 349-2130 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.; (803) 896-2258 after 5 p.m.; the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division at (803) 737-9000, or local law enforcement.

The defense attorney who represented Elmore during his most recent court appearance could not be reached for comment Thursday.