FARMINGTON -- A Jay man has been indicted on a charge of escape from the Franklin County jail on Oct. 30 after he destroyed paperwork that would have indicated to corrections officers he was to be held on bail.

Benjamin Soha, 24, of 2 Otis St. in Jay was indicted by a Franklin County grand jury this week on the felony charges of escape, violation of conditions of release and failure to appear in court for a Nov. 20 hearing. Soha remains a fugitive and is being sought by the Franklin County Sheriff's Department.

On Oct. 30, Soha, who was being held at the Somerset County Jail, appeared in Franklin County Superior Court in Farmington for hearings on charges of assault and criminal mischief. On one count, Justice Michaela Murphy set his bail at $500; on the other, Murphy ordered him held without bail, effectively keeping Soha behind bars pending trial.

"He knew he was not supposed to bail," said Detective David St. Laurent on Wednesday.

After court, Soha, who was wearing street clothes, was taken to the booking room at the Franklin County Jail along with several other inmates. Several corrections officers were present, St. Laurent said.

As one officer was busy removing inmates' shackles and the others were nearby in the small room, Soha moved over to a desk and slipped out the paperwork that would have indicated he was to be held without bail, St. Laurent said. The incident was caught on a surveillance video, he said.

Soha then walked into a cell off the holding room where he allegedly crumbled up the paper. When he came out, he could be seen throwing it in the trash, officials said.

Soha then made a call from the phone in the booking room and arranged to have someone post his $500 cash bail. He walked out of the jail at 8 p.m. and has not been seen since, St. Laurent said.

On Nov. 20, Soha failed to appear in court on a charge of violation of conditions of release and a second warrant has been issued, the officer said.

An indictment is not a determination of guilt but a finding that there is enough evidence to take a case to court.

Betty Jespersen -- 778-6991

bjespersen@centralmaine.com