Federal authorities are offering a $3,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a man who walked out of the federal courthouse in downtown Chicago and disappeared after he was ordered taken into custody.
Ignacio Torres is accused of threatening to kill someone who'd cooperated with prosecutors in his drug case.
Officials have forfeited Torres' $200,000 bond, which was secured by his parents' Chicago property, and are undergoing an intensive search.
Torres is a Hispanic male, approximately 5-foot-8 and 173 pounds, with brown eyes, black hair, and a medium complexion.
The 32 year old was initially arrested on in 2011, and charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute after delivering a kilo of cocaine to a cooperating witness near the intersection of Hermitage and Armitage avenues in Chicago, according to authorities.
Torres was on bond in February 2012 and remained free on bond after he pleaded guilty on June 27 this. His sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 11, where he faced a statutory maximum of 40 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Randall Samborn said there was "some uncertainty about how and when he was supposed to report to the (U.S.) Marshal's Service," but that Torres was never supposed to leave the building after the hearing.
He was in court was in court Tuesday because federal prosecutors had filed an emergency motion to revoke his bond, alleging he and others confronted someone last month who had cooperated with prosecutors. Torres threatened to kill the person, calling the person a "snitch" and threw rocks at him or her, prosecutors said.
What is certain is that Torres was required to go into jail sometime on Tuesday.
But it's not clear when he left the building. Samborn said after the hearing in which the judge revoked Torres' bond, the prosecutor and the judge left the courtroom. There were no security officers or marshals in the courtroom at the time, Samborn said.
Samborn also said it was unclear if Torres was supposed to report on his own to the marshal's service in the court building and whether he was given time to say goodbye to family members who attended the hearing.
Anyone with information about Torres' whereabouts is asked to contact the U.S. Marshals Service 1-800-336-0102, or any local law enforcement agency.
