A Roanoke Rapids man who escaped a Halifax County murder rap in 2008 will appear in federal court in Greenville May 9 on crack distribution charges, according to court records.

Damien Edward “Dang Dang” Mitchell was indicted on three counts in September, federal court records show.

He faces charges of distributing a quantity of crack cocaine, distributing 28 grams of crack cocaine and a count that he allegedly committed the crimes contained in counts 1 and 2 after having two previous convictions for felony drug convictions.

In April, 2008, Mitchell and Charles “Oosie” Hockaday fled to Virginia Beach and then took a trip to Myrtle Beach following the shotgun slaying of Jerry Yellorday.

Hockaday and Mitchell left for the beaches when they learned warrants were issued for their arrest and after returning to Roanoke Rapids turned themselves in one by one.

Mitchell has an extensive criminal background and was charged a month before the Yellorday murder for an incident in the parking lot of Eddie's Place, a local pool hall which is now closed, in which he was allegedly involved in a shoot-out with another person.

Yellorday was shot as he sat in his vehicle outside his house.

In October 2008, however, no probable cause was found that Mitchell or Hockaday killed Yellorday.