DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill. – A convicted gunrunner bolted after a judge temporarily released him from custody so he could attend his brother’s funeral, according to authorities in DuPage County, Illinois.
The prison inmate who failed to return at his 2 p.m. deadline on Tuesday was identified as Bruce Berrier, 23. He is now facing additional charges as authorities try to locate him, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Prosecutors opposed Berrier’s release to attend the funeral for his brother. Nevertheless, DuPage County Judge Michael Reidy authorized the absence.
Berrier wore a GPS ankle monitor and was allowed to go to the Brust Funeral Home in the village of Lombard, Arlington Cemetery in the city of Elmhurst, and to a family lunch.
He was released on Tuesday at 8 a.m., and given a deadline to return to the DuPage County Jail at 2 p.m., officials said.
According to authorities, the ankle monitor was cut off at 1:27 p.m. Investigators said they found it at the cemetery.
As a result, a no-bond arrest warrant was issued for Berrier, charging contempt of court. He was serving a 10-year sentence for gunrunning, having pleaded guilty in July 2021, Law & Crime reported.
At the time of his arrest, he was reportedly on parole, having served 2 ½ years in custody for shooting two people during an argument.
