US Marshals Crack Down On Sex Offender Registrations

DENVER – LAWFUEL – Two Colorado men were indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver and arrested by US Marshals for violating the Adams Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 for failing to register as sex offenders.

Dominic Eugene Hughes, age 32, of Weld County, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver, Colorado on February 12, 2008, for failure to register as a sex offender under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. Hughes made his initial appearance on February 22, 2008. Hughes will have his arraignment and detention hearing on February 27, 2008. Hughes is being held without bond pending a resolution of his case.

A joint investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Weld County Sheriff’s Department revealed that Hughes failed to register as a sex offender, as required by federal and state law, while residing in Weld County. Hughes was originally convicted in 1999 of two counts of sexual assault on a child in El Paso and Teller counties.

In an unrelated matter, Michael James Becnel, age 39, of El Paso County, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver, Colorado on January 7, 2008 for failure to register as a sex offender under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. Becnel pled guilty on February 22, 2008, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9, 2008. Becnel is being held without bond pending a resolution of his case.

A joint investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department revealed that Becnel moved to Colorado from Louisiana and was living in El Paso County. While living in Colorado, Becnel failed to register as required by federal and state sex offender registration laws Becnel was originally convicted in 1998 of aggravated incest in Louisiana.

U.S. Attorney Troy Eid praised the US Marshals for their hard work investigating Adam Walsh Act violations. “Prosecuting violations of the Adam Walsh Act is a priority for the US Attorney’s Office in Colorado,” said US Attorney Troy Eid. “The US Marshals Service is helping to make our streets safer by investigating sex offenders who fail to register.”

Congress enacted The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 on July 27, 2006. The law authorizes the United States Marshals Service to create an active information sharing network to track down sex offenders who cross state lines and who knowingly fail to register and comply with state or federal registration laws.

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