United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Madison, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, and Use of a Fraudulent Identification Document was sentenced on September 24, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Alex Lopez-Nicolas, age 24, was sentenced as follows:  On the methamphetamine and money laundering conspiracies, 120 months in federal prison on each count, to run concurrent, followed by 5 years of supervised release on the methamphetamine conspiracy and 3 years of supervised release on the money laundering conspiracy, to run concurrent.  He was also ordered to pay $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

On the fraudulent document charge, he was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, both to run concurrent to the sentences received on the conspiracies.  He was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Lopez-Nicolas was indicted for using a fraudulent Permanent Resident card by a federal grand jury on January 9, 2018, and for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments by a federal grand jury on January 9, 2018.  He pled guilty to all of the offenses on June 11, 2018.

On January 9, 2017, Lopez-Nicolas applied for work at a business in Madison.  At that time, he provided the employer with a fraudulent Permanent Resident card as proof of his eligibility for employment.

From on or about January 1, 2017, to November 15, 2017, Lopez-Nicolas had multiple conversations with a confidential informant about setting up methamphetamine transactions with a co-conspirator.  He also deposited cash from the sale of methamphetamine into several Wells Fargo Bank accounts, none of which were in his name, to conceal the source of the cash. 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer D. Mammenga and Connie Larson prosecuted the case.

Lopez-Nicolas was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that a superseding indictment (“indictment”) was filed earlier this month, charging Mary Blakley (aka “Marye Blakley,” “Mary Blakely,” “Mary Blakeley,” “Mary Davis,” “Mary Venable,” “Mary Cammer,” “Rosemary Cammer,” “Rosemary Davis,” “Yvonne Davis,” and “Mary Blaksley”) and Fred Blakley (aka “Fred Blakely” and “Floyd Blakely”) with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and defraud the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). In addition to the Blakleys, both charged previously, the superseding indictment also charged Janmarie Lanzo with conspiracy to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and defraud the FDA. All three defendants are residents of Lake Havasu City, Arizona.The indictment alleges that the Mary Blakley, who described herself as “Doctor Mary,” and Fred Blakley were the principals of a medical clinic business that charged clients throughout the United States approximately $300 for conducting what the defendants described as “full body scans” by use of an ultrasound machine. Janmarie Lanzo was a business associate of Mary and Fred Blakley, who worked in the clinics and sold products to clients that were recommended by Mary Blakley as a result of the scans.The defendants falsely claimed that, through the deployment of a “smart chip technology” supposedly invented by defendant Mary Blakley and purportedly added to the ultrasound machines, their “full body scans” could diagnose a wide variety of human diseases and medical conditions, including cancers. Based on the results of these “full body scans,” the defendants falsely and fraudulently prescribed to their human clients various supplements, creams, and veterinary products.The indictment alleges that the defendants promoted and sold Aetheion, a product marketed as a cosmetic cream, to treat cancer, gastric hernias, and various other conditions. The defendants also promoted and sold fenbendazole, a veterinary antiparasitic, to treat cancer in humans.The indictment alleges that to conceal their scheme, the defendants:Falsely claimed they were only doing research, when they were actually performing services and distributing and selling products;Falsely claimed that the products and services they were performing, distributing, and selling were of a type for which regulatory requirements were less onerous or nonexistent;Used coded language and coached others to take deceptive measures;Disguised the nature of the clinics as a religious organization, health club, and private membership organization; andRequired clients to execute confidentiality agreements.If convicted, Mary Blakley and Fred Blakley face a maximum possible sentence of 165 years in prison. If convicted, Janmarie Lanzo faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison.The case was investigated by the FBI and the Office of Criminal Investigations of the Food and Drug Administration, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Mandelbaum and Paul G. Shapiro.The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

 Jason Sparling submitted an application for a drought disaster payment to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFDP), for a loss of grazing during the summer of 2014.  Based on Sparling’s statements, he received an LFDP payment of $94,696. The USDA later determined that none of Sparling’s cattle were on the drought stricken pasture during the qualifying period and Starling was not entitled to the disaster payment. 

Sparling subsequently entered into a settlement agreement and paid the government $180,000, to settle the civil debt resulting from his false statements made to the USDA, pursuant to the False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. § 3729).  The False Claims Act imposes liability on persons and companies who knowingly submit false claims to the government to get a benefit paid by the government. Persons who submit a false claim must pay to the United States a civil penalty of not less than $5,500 and not more than $11,000 for each false claim, plus three times the amount of damages which the government sustained.

The United States Attorney’s Office places a high priority on criminal and civil enforcement in cases involving all types of fraud committed against the government, and works with various law enforcement agencies to identify and investigate these matters.  The investigation, in this case was conducted by USDA, Office of Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl Schrempp DuPris handled the civil case.

ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Sisseton, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on June 24, 2024. 

Jay Adams, age 58, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $50 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.   

Adams was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. He pleaded guilty in November of 2023.

In the early morning hours of September 4, 1992, in the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation, Adams killed a young person, in the heat of passion, by slamming the victim’s head on a hard concrete floor. Afterward, he placed her back on the bed and returned to his bedroom. Adams did not seek medical attention for the victim and later the same day discovered she had died. Adams feigned ignorance as to the cause of the victim’s injury. An initial investigation failed to identify Adams as the assailant and the case remained unsolved for over 30 years.

In early 2023, a witness to the crime came forward and identified Adams as being responsible for the death of the victim in 1992. Law enforcement officers from the Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribal Police Department and the FBI continued the investigation. Prior to indictment in April of 2023, investigators conducted interviews of other individuals associated with Adams and consulted with a pathologist to review the 1992 autopsy performed on the victim. The medical evidence corroborated Adams eventual statement related to his guilty plea that he injured the child, which caused blunt force trauma and caused the child’s death.

“Tragically this matter took thirty years to resolve,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “But the resolution nonetheless demonstrates law enforcement’s relentless commitment to cracking these cases so that perpetrators can be held to account. It is our hope the Defendant’s sentence offers some measure of closure to the victim’s family.”

This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

This case is part of the Department of Justice’s newly created Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners.  The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components. Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of victims and their families despite the passage of time.   

The investigation was conducted by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribal Police Department and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Great Plains Region Troy R. Morley. 

Adams was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.  The sentencing took place on January 20, 2026.Louis Leroy Butcher, 58, was sentenced to one year and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.Butcher was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in September 2025.  He pleaded guilty on October 14, 2025.Butcher was previously convicted of a federal sex offense.  Because of his prior conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender.  Butcher was aware of his obligation to register and to keep his registration current with officials within the county in which he resided.  Nonetheless, from late July through August 2025, Butcher knowingly failed to register and update his registration.This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service.  Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case.Butcher was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to serve his federal sentence.This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Unit, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that the United States has reached a Settlement Agreement with Counter Productions Inc. to resolve allegations that the company violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) when it denied a Sioux Falls student, a member of the Sioux Falls Children’s Choir who uses a wheelchair, the opportunity to perform with the classic rock band Foreigner during their August 2024 concert in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.As part of the resolution, Counter Productions, Inc. agreed to pay the impacted family a sum of $23,500.  In addition to securing monetary relief, the agreement requires Counter Productions Inc. to adopt new ADA compliance measures, including policies for future performances and ADA compliance training for its employees.Title III of the ADA prohibits places open to the public (such as restaurants, hotels, theaters, and stores) from discriminating against people based on a disability, or their association with someone with a disability, in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods or services offered.This agreement resolves allegations that staff with Counter Productions, Inc. refused to make reasonable accommodations for a member of the Sioux Falls Children’s Choir who required the use of a wheelchair that would have allowed her to sing along with her friends as part of a special song that Foreigner had planned for the concert. The production company claimed that the concert staging area was too hazardous to permit her participation, despite various options proposed by staff at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, members of the Sioux Falls Children’s Choir, and the parents of the child. As a result, the child and her family were not allowed to be part of the event.“I want to make clear that the band Foreigner was not responsible for this unfortunate situation and none of its members were even aware it was happening,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.  “This was a decision by the production company, and I’m glad it has agreed to this resolution.  Most importantly, we are delighted that the Bauman family is now able to put this matter behind them.  We have been so impressed by the courage and determination of this young woman, for whom a bright future awaits.”“We are grateful to the DOJ for its persistence in pursuing this Americans with Disabilities Act case to the point of an agreeable settlement,” said Christa Bauman, on behalf of her daughter and the rest of her the family.  “We hope this case helps other people who live with a disability to feel seen, heard, valued and empowered to stand up for themselves.”Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anne Weyer and Sharla Svennes investigated the underlying complaint and negotiated this resolution in collaboration with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The claims resolved through the Settlement Agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.The ADA was passed on July 26, 1990, over 35 years ago. The Act reaffirmed our nation’s continued commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities have the right to live, work, and fully participate in the community alongside their fellow citizens. More information about the ADA is available at the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information line at (800) 514-0301 (voice) or (833)-610-1264 (TTY) and via the ADA website at http://www.ada.gov. ADA complaints may be filed by email to ada.complaint@usdoj.gov.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JORGE GIOVANNI ESCOBAR GONZALEZ, 41, a citizen of Colombia last residing in Kissimmee, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 57 months of imprisonment for his involvement in an organized jewelry theft ring that targeted mall-based stores and kiosks across the country.According to court documents and statements made in court, from May 2023 through April 2024, Escobar Gonzalez and several other Colombian nationals burglarized jewelry stores and kiosks in malls and then transported the stolen property or the proceeds from it across state lines.  Before the burglaries, Escobar Gonzalez and his associates surveilled the stores and kiosks to formulate game plans and, as part of that reconnaissance, Escobar Gonzalez more than once posed as a legitimate customer to examine the desired merchandise and assess the establishment’s security measures.  During the burglaries, Escobar Gonzalez frequently served as one of the thieves who broke into stores and display cases while other co-conspirators served as lookouts.Escobar Gonzalez and his co-conspirators burglarized jewelry establishments in Paterson, New Jersey, on May 17, 2023; in Mentor, Ohio, on July 21, 2023; in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on August 13, 2023; in Greece, New York, on September 20, 2023; at the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, Connecticut, on October 5, 2023; in Lombard, Illinois on October 17, 2023; in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, on October 27, 2023; and in Henrico, Virginia on November 4, 2023.  The total losses from these burglaries exceed $4.4 million. Members of the conspiracy also cased additional jewelry stores and kiosks in Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Delaware.To date, none of the stolen jewelry has been recovered by law enforcement.On April 9, 2025, Escobar Gonzalez pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of stolen property.  He has been detained since May 19, 2024, when he was arrested in Florida on state charges related to another jewelry burglary.This investigation has been conducted by the FBI New Haven’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force with the assistance of the Milford (Conn.) Police Department, the Hamilton Township (N.J.) Police Division, the Delaware State Police, the Henrico County (Va.) Police Division, the New York State Police, the New York Police Department, the Pensacola (Fla.) Police Department, the Paterson (N.J.) Police Department, the Mentor (Ohio) Police Department, the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Police Department, the Greece (N.Y.) Police Department, and the Lombard (Ill.) Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Conor M. Reardon.U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and FBI Field Offices in New York, Dallas, Miami, and Tampa for their assistance.

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier, has sentenced a man from South Dakota, convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.  The sentencing took place on January 26, 2026.Darrell Chase In Winter, 33, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.Chase In Winter was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in October 2025.  He pleaded guilty on December 22, 2025.Chase In Winter was previously convicted of a federal sex offense.  Because of his prior conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender.  Chase In Winter was aware of his obligation to register and to keep his registration current with officials within the county in which he resided.  Nonetheless, from early August through November 2025, Chase In Winter knowingly failed to register and update his registration.This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service.  Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case.Chase In Winter was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to serve his federal sentence.This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Cherry Creek, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on June 10, 2024.

Dana James Marshall, age 38, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.

Marshall was indicted by a federal grand jury in October of 2023. He pleaded guilty on March 11, 2024.

On April 15, 2022, Marshall invited his 18-year-old niece to his bedroom. She accepted his invitation and disrobed at his behest, but clearly told Marshall she did not want him to sexually touch her. Marshall nonetheless seized her by the ribs and groped her private body parts. This incident occurred in the Cherry Creek Community, which lies within the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.

This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.

This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Service and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

Marshall was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Parmelee, South Dakota, couple has been sentenced by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, based on their convictions in an Involuntary Manslaughter and Child Abuse case.

Dakota Horned Eagle, age 29, pled guilty on November 4, 2019, to Involuntary Manslaughter and Operating a Motor Vehicle While Under the Influence of Alcohol Causing Serious Bodily Injury to a Minor.  On January 27, 2020, he was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.

Ashley Stoneman, age 25, pled guilty on November 18, 2019, to Child Abuse.  On February 10, 2020, she was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

The couple was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 23, 2019.

The convictions stemmed from an incident that occurred on July 12, 2019, in Todd County, South Dakota.  On that date, Horned Eagle and Stoneman were consuming alcoholic beverages and socializing at a residence in the He Dog Community.  At approximately 1:00 p.m., they decided to drive back to their residence in nearby Parmelee.  They loaded six children into their vehicle and departed the residence, with Horned Eagle driving and Stoneman riding in the front passenger seat.  None of the children, who ranged in age from two months old to twelve years old, were secured with car seats or seat belts.  Horned Eagle was intoxicated.  A short time later, they were traveling on a gravel road between He Dog and Parmelee, when their vehicle left the roadway and wrecked.  At the time of the wreck, Horned Eagle was driving at least 50 miles per hour (mph) in an area where the posted speed limit is 35 mph.

Two of the children in the vehicle suffered fatal injuries as a result of the wreck.  The other four children in the vehicle sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

Horned Eagle and Stoneman were immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of 2 counts of Wire Fraud and 1 count of Theft of Government Property was sentenced by Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.

Robert Rodney Bland, age 52, was sentenced on September 4, 2020, to 12 months in federal prison, and was ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $75,000 in restitution to the General Services Administration (GSA).  

Between January 2010 and May 2018, Bland, while sole owner and operator of Motive Magic Mobile Windshield Repair, fraudulently billed GSA for hundreds of rock chip repairs he did not perform on dozens of vehicles leased to various federal agencies.  On 1 vehicle, Bland claimed to have repaired 71 rock chips, but in reality only completed 2 repairs.  On another vehicle, Bland claimed to have repaired 44 rock chips, but in actuality repaired none.  The majority of the time, the agency which leased the GSA vehicle was unaware that the claimed repair had been billed to GSA because Bland would not notify the agency representative or provide invoices to the agency before or after billing for a claimed repair.  In total, Bland fraudulently billed and was paid $75,000 by GSA for work he had not performed.  Bland used the fraudulent proceeds to purchase and/or pay for a pontoon boat, boat trailer, Harley Davidson motorcycle, 5th wheel camper, and a van, all for his personal use.  Each of these vehicles were seized and forfeited to the United States.  

"GSA relies on vendors across the United States to maintain its large fleet of government vehicles.  The judgment in this case proves that GSA OIG, along with our investigative partners, will pursue vendors who defraud the Government and take advantage of the trust that is placed in them,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamie Willemin, General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General.

The investigation was conducted by the General Services Administration - Office of Inspector General, the Department of Health and Human Services -Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Defense - Office of Inspector General.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

Bland was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence. 

ST. LOUIS – Three former residents of the St. Louis area pleaded guilty Tuesday and admitted fraudulently obtaining $229,000 in loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.Brianna L. Bell-Maple, 24, Jemyla A. Bell, 39, and Leiah A. Vaughn, 23, each pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of wire fraud. Each defendant admitted participating in a scheme to fraudulently apply for 12 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from March 2021 to August 2021. Each defendant applied for four loans. The loan applications were nearly identical and sought the maximum loan of $20,833 for a sole proprietorship. Each application was filed in the name of a nonexistent women’s clothing store, and falsely claimed the store earned $121,003 in 2019. Bell-Maple, Bell and Vaughn also submitted falsified tax forms.Eleven of the loan applications were approved, yielding a total of $229,163.PPP loans were intended to aid small businesses in paying and retaining employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bell-Maple used PPP loan money to lease a new apartment in April of 2021. Bell-Maple and Vaughn moved in. The three spent more loan proceeds on personal expenditures such as shopping, dining, cash withdrawals, and electronic transfers to friends and family. On May 5, 2021, Vaughn and Bell-Maple spent $5,200 on a purebred puppy. Two days later, Bell-Maple and Bell each purchased a vehicle from the same car dealership.Bell-Maple, Bell, and Vaughn submitted 11 applications for loan forgiveness on Aug. 9, 2021, falsely claiming that they spent the PPP money on payroll. The loan forgiveness applications were approved based on their false claims.The three, who now live in Fresno, Calif., are scheduled to be sentenced on June 9. Each wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. Each of the defendants has agreed to a money judgment equal to the total value of fraudulently obtained PPP loans.The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.  The sentencing took place on January 26, 2026.Kyle Allen Felicia, 43, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.Felicia was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in November 2025.  He pleaded guilty on December 22, 2025.Felicia was previously convicted of a federal sex offense.  Because of his prior conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender.  Felicia was aware of his obligation to register and to keep his registration current with officials within the county in which he resided.  Nonetheless, from mid-August through November 2025, Felicia knowingly failed to register and update his registration.This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service.  Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case.Felicia was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to serve his federal sentence.This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.