Former Elmira Drug Dealer Sentenced To 25 Years

A drug-dealer who once operated out of the Elmira area has been sentenced to 25 years in prison following an escape from jail in the Rochester area. 36-year-old Joseph Mitchell and an accomplice broke out of the Monroe County Jail in March of 2011 by sawing through a metal bar on a second-floor window. They were caught a week later, about 30 miles west of Rochester. Mitchell pleaded guilty to escape and cocaine charges. He and his younger brothers were accused of distributing cocaine in both the Elmira and Rochester areas. Mitchells brothers and the alleged accomplice are awaiting charges.