A 30-year-old dual citizen of Canada and Bangladesh failed to show up for a Thursday court hearing in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was scheduled to face charges of raping a University of Michigan student.
Shams Tabriz, who was free on bond, was absent for a probable cause hearing before District Judge Richard Conlin, court officials say. Conlin revoked Tabriz’s bond and issued a bench warrant for his arrest, mlive.com reported.
Defense attorney Brian Stacey, who said he had spoken with Tabriz and his family on Wednesday night, was unable to explain to Conlin why his client didn’t show.
“I just have a very bad feeling about this,” Stacey said, adding that Tabriz suffers from depression.
Although he is a resident of Ann Arbor, Tabriz holds a Canadian passport and is a Bangladeshi citizen, according to the Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney’s office. Investigators say he is an electrical engineer with a U.S. work authorization.
During a May 9 arraignment, Magistrate Elisha Fink ordered Tabriz to turn over his passports and remain within the state for the duration of court proceedings. She also set original bond at 10 percent of $200,000 dollars, allowing Tabriz to post $20,000 to get out of jail.
Tabriz is facing charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, first-degree home invasion and two counts of assault and battery, reports mlive.com. Prosecutors say he sexually assaulted a 19-year-old woman in Ann Arbor’s Landmark Apartments in the early morning hours of May 6.
Tabriz, who lived in the same apartment building, allegedly broke into the woman’s apartment, where she was sleeping with two other roommates. He then “inappropriately touched” the two roommates before sexually assaulting the 19-year-old woman, police say.
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