A New York state corrections officer charged in connection with the escape of two murderers from a maximum-security prison has bailed himself out of an upstate jail.
Officials at Clinton County Jail in Plattsburgh say 57-year-old Gene Palmer was released around 12:30 a.m. Thursday after using a credit card to pay his $25,000 bail.
Authorities charged Palmer on Wednesday night with promoting prison contraband, tampering with physical evidence and official misconduct.
He works at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, where 35-year-old David Sweat and Richard Matt pulled off their daring escape June 6. They remain at large Thursday, which is Matt's 49th birthday.
Authorities say Palmer delivered tools inside frozen meat to the inmates. His lawyer says Palmer didn't know tools were hidden inside the meat.