Drug Suspect Brought Back to Greenwich

The Cos Cob man, who dubbed himself the ‘black Houdini,’ after he gave Greenwich Police the slip after he was busted on drug charges is back in town.

Bryan Francois, 21, of 46 Sinawoy Rd., was picked up by Greenwich Police who drove to Whiteville, NC where Francois has been held at the Columbus County Detention Center since his Jan. 12 arrest as a fugitive from justice, according to Greenwich Police. Local police formally arrested him Jan. 20 and drove him back to Greenwich.

Francois was the target of a drug distribution investigation in Greenwich and local investigators executed a search warrant for his residence on Jan. 5, according to Greenwich Police Lt. Kraig Gray. Gray said investigators seized a “large quantity of drugs and arrested him at that point.”

Gray said Francois is suspected of selling marijuana, ecstasy and other pills.

“While in preparation of being transported from Cos Cob to headquarters in central Greenwich, he complained his handcuffs were too tight,” Gray said. “Rather than have him suffer, the officer let him out of the car to loosen the handcuffs, and he bolted.”

Police scoured the Cos Cob neighborhood with the help of a K-9 unit from the New Rochelle, NY Police Department but could not find Francois.

Francois is accused of hiding in a motor home parked nearby and then stealing a 2005 Honda Element from a home in the neighborhood, Gray said. Francois then drove to Chadbourn, NC where he stayed for several days at a local hotel, Gray said.

Gray would only say that “investigative techniques” and “following up on leads,” led police to Francois.

While on the lam, Francois posted on his Facebook page that he was a ‘black Houdini’ for giving police the slip.

Francois is being held on court-ordereed $250,000 bond set on charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, possession of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a school, possession of less than four ounces of marijuana, possession of less than four ounces of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of less than four ounces of marijuana within 1,500 feet of a school, operating a drug factory, possession of drug paraphernalia and escape from custody.

He is facing third-degree burglary and third-degree larceny in connection with the car theft.

Gray said that when Francois was arrested in North Carolina, police recovered the handcuffs he escaped with.

Gray said a departmental review of the incident is continuing. “It is unfortunate that he chose to exploit the officer’s good nature — to escape.”

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Photo courtesy of Greenwich Police.