LIBERTY &045; Authorities say a convicted drug dealer who allegedly escaped from the Amite County Jail on Thursday afternoon probably had some help.

Chief Deputy Bill Vallely said Jerry D. Newsome, 26, was awaiting transfer to Pike County for a probation revocation hearing when he apparently slipped away from the jail.

Vallely said Newsome was noticed missing at about

3 p.m.

&uot;He was up front using the phone, and getting ready to be transferred.

&uot;We believe he had someone waiting to pick him up,&uot; said Vallely.

Vallely would not comment on who might have helped Newsome escape.

Newsome was arrested last month in Amite County for allegedly manufacturing methamphetamine and possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, according to Tony Powell, an agent with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics in McComb.

&uot;He should be considered dangerous.

Anytime you have someone escape, he’s more desperate,&uot; said Powell.

Vallely described Newsome as a white male, approximately 6 feet 3 inches tall, weighing 225 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information on Newsome’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Amite County Sheriff’s Office at 601-657-8057.