A man recently sentenced to 17 years in prison for kidnapping a businessman was accidentally released from a county jail in Alabama on Friday and is on the run, officials say.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office requests the public to keep an eye out for 35-year-old Matthew Amos Burke, who pleaded guilty to kidnapping, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit bank fraud charges in April. The exact error that led to his accidental release is under investigation, but authorities believe there was a mistake with his transfer documents after state charges against him had been dismissed. The office did not notice the error until Monday.

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"According to records, Burke had charges with the state, which were dismissed after a court appearance on Friday," the sheriff's office said in a press release. "At the time [of] transfer from the neighboring agency, there was no documentation left to notify jail personnel that Burke had been sentenced by another court and was not to be released."

According to the sheriff's department, he should have been transferred from the county jail to a federal prison to begin his prison sentence.

In July of 2020, Burke illegally entered the home of businessman Elton B. Stephens of Birmingham and kidnapped him, transporting him to Burke's home, according to a news release from the Department of Justice. Burke then forced Stephens to transfer $250,000 from Stephen's account into another account. Once the transfer was complete, Burke took Stephens home and released him. Stephens then called local police departments and reported the crimes.

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Anyone who sees Burke or has information on his whereabouts should call 911, the sheriff's office said. Burke is approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and 170 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.