Inmate missing from Florence prison

An inmate disappeared from a federal prison in Florence Friday evening (10/18/13).

Guards realized Ronnie D. Rainey, 46, was missing at 5:20 p.m. The facility notified the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office two hours later.

FCSO Capt. Don Pinover said the facility told him Rainey could have left as long as 12 hours before he was noticed missing.

“The trail was cold by then,” said Pinover. “That’s why there’s no active search for him, and why we didn’t do reverse 911 notifications. We don’t think he’s armed and dangerous. We’re not overly concerned.”

Rainey has served two years of a 10-year sentence for mail fraud. Authorities said he used a day trading scheme to steal money from investors in North Carolina.

Rainey was in a work camp with other inmates with no restraints and minimal supervision, authorities said, and inmates rarely leave without permission because they can be charged with escape — adding time to their sentences and placing them in higher-security facilities.

The U.S. Marshall’s Office is responsible for finding and returning Rainey, authorities said, adding that inmates who leave low-security facilities often are found within several days.

Call law enforcement if you know where he is.