Inmates escape federal prison in Hopewell, Virginia

Four inmates are on the lam after escaping a federal prison camp in Virginia – the latest in a growing trend of lapses at low-security lockups throughout the United States.

Inmates Corey Branch, Tavares Lajuane Graham, Lamonte Rashawn Willis and Kareem Allen Shaw were discovered missing from the Federal Correctional Complex-Petersburg’s satellite camp in Hopewell, Virginia, around 1:45 a.m., the Federal Bureau of Prisons said Saturday.

Officials didn’t reveal how the detainees escaped the facility, which holds 185 men.

However, the BOP has come under fire in recent years for its lax security at similar federal prison camps nationwide, where doors are typically left unlocked and security cameras aren’t working.

An internal probe has been initiated, and the U.S. Marshals Service, FBI and other law enforcement agencies have been notified

Branch, 41, is serving more than 13 years for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm. Graham, 44, is serving 10 years on drug-related charges and possession of a firearm.

Willis, 30, is serving 18 years for possessing and concealing a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Shaw, 46, is serving more than 16 years for conspiring to deal heroin.  

With Post wires