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Man Accused Of Threatening Gay Bars Back In Custody After Mistaken Release From Jail

CHICAGO (CBS) —  Shane Sleeper, the man mistakenly released from Cook County Jail on Tuesday, has been captured, sheriff's officials said Thursday afternoon.

Before he was accidentally set free, Sleeper had been in custody since February on charges of threatening violence at gay clubs in Lakeview.

shane-sleeper
Photo: CPD

According to Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart's office, Sleeper was released from custody on Tuesday, after misdemeanor charges against him were dismissed, because the office was not notified new felony charges had been filed.

The sheriff's office said Sleeper, 31, was back in custody Thursday afternoon. Details on his capture were not immediately available.

Dart's office blamed Sleeper's mistaken release on a paperwork problem.

The Cook County State's Attorney's office said Sleeper was arraigned Tuesday on felony charges of terrorism, hate crime and harassment. A judge ordered him held without bail.

Cara Smith, policy chief for Sheriff Tom Dart, said the Circuit Court Clerk's office did not transmit the proper paperwork notifying the jail to keep Sleeper in custody after the misdemeanor charges were upgraded to felony charges. She said they were only notified the original charges had been dropped.

"We don't have a crystal ball. Unless we are advised of expected indictments or court orders, we are required to follow whatever orders we have, which we did in this case," she said.

However, Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown's office disputed the sheriff's office's claim. Brown's office said all of the court orders showing Sleeper was supposed to remain in custody were transmitted to the sheriff's office before he was set free.

"There was not one order that stated the defendant was to be released," Brown spokesperson Jalyne Strong said.

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