Man who was mistakenly released from Philadelphia prison recaptured by Marshals
Jamal Burkett is back in custody after Marshals say he was mistakenly released from a Philadelphia prison.
PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia man who pleaded guilty to firing a gun at police in 2023 is back in custody after it was discovered that he was mistakenly released from prison last month.
Jamal Burkett, 53, was sentenced to more than 15 years behind bars for assault on a federal officer and weapons possession.
A recent audit done by the Marshals Service found that Burkett was mistakenly released from Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility after "local charges were satisfied."
What we know:
Jamal Burkett was sentenced to over 15 years in prison after pleading guilty in 2023 to firing multiple times at a Philadelphia police officer assigned to a federal task force.
An audit conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service in June found that the 53-year-old was mistakenly released from Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility last month after "local charges were satisfied."
A warrant was issued for Burkett's arrest by a U.S. District Court for failure to surrender for an imposed federal sentence, according to Marshals.
He was found hiding out at a family member's apartment in Southwest Philadelphia on Wednesday and taken back into custody without incident.
What they're saying:
"Anyone who discharges a firearm at police officers must pay for their actions," Supervisory Deputy Robert Clark said in a press release.
He lauded the quick work of Marshals to get Burkett back into custody shortly after the error was discovered and a warrant was issued.
"Capturing Burkett in less than 24 hours after being notified of his release is truly exceptional," he said.