Joseph A. Mesteth, Failure to Pay Child Support, South Dakota 2019

A New Mexico man has been held accountable for his failure to provide for his children, a crime that has left many in our community outraged.

On July 1, 2019, U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced Joseph A. Mesteth, a 50-year-old man from Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico, for his conviction of Failure to Pay Child Support.

According to court documents, Mesteth was to pay child support for his minor children who reside in South Dakota but willfully failed to do so.

The conviction stemmed from Mesteth's actions, which have caused significant hardship for his children and their custodial parent.

Mesteth was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 4, 2018, and subsequently pleaded guilty on April 12, 2019.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.

Mesteth was sentenced to 5 years of probation, $104,160.81 in restitution, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr/new-mexico-man-sentenced-failure-pay-child-support