A Macon woman had been sought for a few years by authorities in several Middle Georgia counties until last week, when deputies found her hiding in a chest of drawers.
Nichole Leigh Lewis was wanted by authorities in Putnam, Baldwin, Jones, Jasper, and Talliaferro counties, according to reports by the Jones County and Putnam County sheriff’s offices.
“We arrested her for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of oxycodone in November 2023, and she’s been ‘fuge-ing’ ever since,” Putnam Sheriff Howard Sills said of the fugitive.
Pausing to count pages as he talked, Sills said 38-year-old Lewis has a “50-page rap sheet with around 18 prior arrests and four prior felony convictions — all drug related.” He noted she had been out on bond from Baldwin County since 2022, when she was arrested for possession of methamphetamine.
“And she was also wanted by parole at that time,” he added.
Her other prior arrests were in Jones, Jasper, Baldwin, and Putnam, “so everybody has arrested her,” Sills said.
“And she also has a probation violation in Taliaferro County. It says right here on that report that ‘she’s closely supervised by parole,’” he added. “I wonder how close ‘closely’ meant?”
The pivotal moment came on July 10 when Lewis fled on foot from JCSO Investigator Tyler Hall, which resulted in a manhunt and investigative search.
Hall and fellow deputies Lt. Kasey Carr and Matthew Dennis went to a home on Upper River Road in Gray, where they believed Lewis was hiding. There, they encountered Ashley Wilkes, who was also wanted in Jones for previously helping Lewis avoid capture, according to a social media post by the Jones County Sheriff’s Office.
“As officers searched the home, Lewis was nowhere to be found until they discovered a hidden compartment inside a dresser where she was stashed away,” the post reveals.
During their search, deputies also reportedly found “a quantity of suspected methamphetamine” inside the same room.
“Lewis had multiple outstanding warrants from Jones, Baldwin, and Putnam counties, including charges for fleeing and eluding, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, obstruction, and failure to appear,” JCSO reported.
Jones County Sheriff’s Office also expressed appreciation to Baldwin County deputies for assisting them in the search.
“The bottom line: You might get away for a little while, but not forever,” the social media post says.