Michigan Man Charged With Failing to Update His Address on the Sex Offender Registry, Leads to Murder Confession

Last month a Michigan man was arrested in North Carolina when Michigan police discovered that he failed to register a new address on the Sex Offender Registry. When police caught up with the man in North Carolina, he also confessed to a murder and pointed authorities to where the victim’s body was located. According to a report by HickoryRecord.com, the man was a suspect in the January 20th alleged murder of his girlfriend. When police found out that he failed to register his new address, this gave them the probable cause necessary to secure a warrant for his eventual arrest. Once police began talking to the man, he eventually confessed to the January murder. North Carolina police convinced the man to turn himself in, at which point he waived his extradition rights and was transported back to Michigan where he will likely face charges on both the alleged murder and failure-to-register. Failure to Register a New Address Can Lead to a New Sentence One of the many collateral consequences to a sex-offense conviction is the requirement that an individual permanently register as a sex offender. When an individual is required to register, most often that requirement stays with them for life. In addition, traveling across state lines will not eliminate the requirement to register. In fact, each time a registrant moves, they will have to register with both the city they are leaving and the city they are moving to. Failing to register when moving to a new city is an additional criminal offense that can carry with it serious prison time. For example, in Michigan, failing to register as a sex-offender can come with the following punishments:

• First offense: Up to 4 years in prison and a $2,000 fine.
• Second offense: Up to 7 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
• Third offense: Up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Even technical violations, such as failing to pay court-ordered fines or sign certain forms, can lead to additional sentences. In some cases, even good-faith violations of the law can land registrants in prison. If you have any question whether you need to register as a sex offender, contact an experienced Michigan criminal defense attorney.

Have You Been Charged With or Convicted of a Sex Offense in Michigan? If you have recently been charged with a sex offense in Michigan, or you have recently been convicted and are curious whether and how you will need to register, you should contact an experienced Michigan criminal defense attorney immediately. The penalties for failing to register as a sex offender in Michigan can be extremely harsh, and ignorance of the law is not an excuse that courts will understand. So if you are currently in violation and would like to become compliant, or need to speak to a defense attorney about your case, call (248) 266-8720, or contact the firm online and speak to an experienced attorney today.

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• Illinois Recently Makes Big Move in Juvenile Justice Reform, Michigan Lags, Michigan Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog, published January 15, 2014.
• “Romeo and Juliet Law” Provides Some Relief For Young Adults Charged with Sex Offenses in Michigan, Michigan Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog, published February 14, 2014.