Convicted: West Palm Beach Sex Offender Ramon Fuertes for Failure to Register

A federal jury in West Palm Beach has convicted Ramon Fuertes, a/k/a ‘Raymond Cortez,’ of four counts of failure of a sex offender to properly register, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2250(a).

The conviction stems from Fuertes’ failure to register two email addresses and a social networking account, as well as his decision to vacate his West Palm Beach residence without notifying authorities.

According to evidence presented during the six-day trial, Fuertes had been convicted in 2009 in federal court for sex trafficking of a minor and enticement of a minor. After completing his federal prison sentence in 2018, Fuertes registered as a sex offender.

However, in January and May 2023, Fuertes created and used the unregistered internet identifiers, and on June 2, 2023, he vacated his West Palm Beach residence and flew to Georgia without notifying the proper authorities.

As the evidence showed, while in Georgia, Fuertes failed to properly register as a sex offender and stopped communicating with law enforcement in Georgia and Florida about his whereabouts by late July 2023. An arrest warrant was issued for Fuertes shortly thereafter, and he was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Fugitive Task Force on October 24, 2023.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the USMS made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the USMS Miami, with assistance from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, and Georgia Bureau of Investigations, as well as the Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office, Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, and Gwinnett County Police Department, all in Georgia.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller is prosecuting the case, which is scheduled for sentencing on July 18, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-CR-80208.

The conviction is a stark reminder of the importance of adhering to sex offender registration requirements. Fuertes’ actions demonstrate a blatant disregard for the law and put innocent lives at risk.

As the investigation and prosecution of this case continue, it is clear that the authorities will not tolerate any attempts to evade the law. The Grimy Times will continue to provide updates on this case as more information becomes available.