Escaped work release inmate found in Florida

Hoover inmate John Edward Sharpe was found in Florida by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday. He was found on Highway 231, and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office notified the Alabama Department of Corrections at 4 p.m., according to Bob Horton, the Alabama DOC public information manager.

Sharpe was serving a 20-year sentence following a 2009 robbery conviction in Shelby County. He also has previous convictions for robbery and assault, according to the Alabama DOC.

An escape report was issued Monday around 3:30 p.m. Sharpe had escaped just before 3 p.m. He now faces multiple charges in Bay County, Florida, including resisting an officer without violence, DUI and possession of a controlled substance. Horton said if convicted of these charges, Sharpe could remain in Florida to serve jail time. Sharpe will also face escape, theft of property and other charges when he returns to Alabama.