Acoma Pueblo Man Jailed for Failure to Update Sex Offender Registration

ALBUQUERQUE – The gritty streets of Acoma Pueblo were hit with a judicial reminder as Mervin Hayah, 47, was sentenced to a 15-month federal prison term for flouting the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

Hayah’s sentence, handed down in federal court, also includes five years of supervised release, a stark consequence for his failure to comply with registration requirements. Known as the Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act, SORNA demands that sex offenders keep their registrations current across various jurisdictions.

The 47-year-old Acoma Pueblo resident was nabbed on November 20, 2013, in Grants, N.M., for neglecting to update his sex offender registration. His indictment followed on December 17, 2013, charging him with failing to keep his registration updated between July and October 2013 in Cibola County.

Hayah had a dark past involving federal child sexual abuse charges, which he was convicted of in April 2002. He registered as a sex offender in Cibola County on July 15, 2011, followed by registration with the Acoma Pueblo Police on April 29, 2013. Despite being informed of his obligation to update his registration by July 29, 2013, Hayah failed to do so.

The court accepted a guilty plea from Hayah on January 22, 2014. The relentless pursuit of justice in this case was led by the U.S. Marshals Service, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Novaline D. Wilson and David Adams prosecuting the charges.