FBI Offers $50K Reward In Chicago Jail Break

Chicago, IL – Two men who made a daring escape from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown Chicago on Tuesday are still at large. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of them men.

Joseph “Jose” Banks, 37, and Kenneth Conley, 38, were discovered missing from their shared cell at 5 a.m. on Tuesday. Both men were present in their cell at 10 p.m. the previous evening. By 7 a.m. on Tuesday a 200 foot long rope, crafted from bed sheets, was discovered hanging down the outside of the 27 story jail. The hand-made rope was found secured to the bars of their window. USA Today reports that upon inspection of the men’s cell, authorities discovered broken glass and blankets stuffed under the sheets in an apparent ploy to fool the guards.

Thomas Trautmann, of the FBI’s Chicago office announced today that they were offering a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the apprehension of the men. Law enforcement officials warn that the men should be considered armed and dangerous.

A spokeswoman from the U.S. Marshal stated that this was only the second escape from the state-of-the-art facility. In the mid 1980’s one other person managed to break free of the triangular shaped high-rise jail. The unique design of the building, by Architect Harry Weese, was thought to reduce the possibility of blind spots, making surveillance more efficient for the guards.

CBS News reports that Joseph “Jose” Banks (known as the Second-Hand Bandit) was incarcerated after being convicted of two bank robberies and two attempted robberies. The $500,000 stolen by Banks was never recovered. Kenneth Conley was convicted of robbing a bank of $4,000.

Anyone with information leading to the arrest of these men is encouraged to contact the FBI. Information leading to their apprehension is worth $50,000.