Authorities say former Buffalo Grove teacher facing sexual assault charges is on the run

A former Buffalo Grove middle school teacher facing 25 felony counts of criminal sexual assault is on the lam after he tampered with his ankle monitor and left his Vernon Hills home, officials said.

Ilan Gibori is accused of sexually assaulting a minor he met while working at Cooper Middle School in Buffalo Grove and is facing up to 15 years in prison.

Last month, officials at the Waukegan courthouse were notified Gibori's court-mandated ankle monitor had been tampered with and went to his home to do a well-being check, said Sara Avalos, communications specialist for the Lake County state's attorney's office.

Gibori was nowhere to be found, and no one knows his whereabouts, Avalos said.

A Lake County judge issued an arrest warrant on Friday.

Gibori and his legal team were due in court this week to discuss a possible guilty plea.

Gibori has been entered into police databases as a wanted man and can be taken into custody by any area law enforcement agency, Lake County Sheriff's Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said.

Gibori initially was captured in March 2021 by the Department of Homeland Security at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. Officials said at the time they believed he was in Texas because he was attempting to evade a Lake County warrant on the charges.

In May 2021, Gibori put up $200,000 cash to be released from jail while his trial was pending. Under the terms of his release, Gibori had to wear an ankle monitor and keep in contact with court officials.

The next hearing in Gibori's case is Jan. 4 irrespective of whether he is found.