FBI asks for public’s help in finding convicted sex offender
The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office is asking for the public’s help in finding a man convicted of attempted sexual assault in Illinois who has been on the run since November.
Joseph A. Kopacz, 54, is a white male, 6′, 1″, 190 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes and a scar, on his lower right arm.
According to public records, Kopacz was reportedly seen in Palm Springs in late November.
The FBI believes he may have been in contact with associates in Riverside County. Public records revealed the person who posted bond for Kopacz told the Cook County Sheriff’s Office that Kopacz was in Palm Springs.
Public records also reveal that a bartender at an unidentified hotel in Palm Springs told FBI agents on Nov. 30 that they had seen Kopacz in the hotel.
Kopacz was convicted on Nov. 8 on state charges of committing a home invasion attack in Oct. 2016 in Chicago. According to the FBI, he had attempted to sexually assault a victim who was asleep during the home invasion. He fled while on bond during his trial, where he was convicted in absentia.
Kopacz is a registered sex offender. Kopacz has nine booking photos dating back to 2005 on the Illinois Sex Offender Registry.
Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Kopacz is urged to contact the FBI at (310) 477-6565 or call 911. A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered in exchange for information leading to his arrest.
