Rio Arriba Man Sentenced for Failing to Register as Sex Offender

Rio Arriba Man Sentenced for Failing to Register as Sex Offender

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Glenn Gene Fernandez, 46, of Alcalde, N.M., was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), announced U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez. Fernandez was required to register as a sex offender as a result of a 2004 state conviction in Santa Clara, Calif., for criminal sexual battery involving a restrained person.

Fernandez was charged in a criminal complaint on Dec. 1, 2015, with violating SORNA by failing to update his sex offender registration. Fernandez last complied with his sex offender registration requirements in California in Aug. 2011. In Nov. 2015, the U.S. Marshals Service received a request to assist the Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office with charging Fernandez with a SORNA violation. The U.S. Marshals Services’ investigation revealed that Fernandez had residing in New Mexico since at least Feb. 2013, and had not registered as a sex offender in New Mexico as required by SORNA.

During yesterday’s proceedings, Fernandez pled guilty to a felony information charging him with failing to update his registration between Feb. 2013 and Dec. 2015 in Rio Arriba County, N.M. Fernandez entered the guilty plea without the benefit of a plea agreement.

At sentencing, Fernandez faces a statutory maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison followed by a minimum of five years of supervised release. Fernandez will also be required to register as a sex offender following his term of incarceration. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Ruiz-Velez. The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez and U.S. Marshal Conrad E. Candelaria.

Fernandez’s conviction and sentence serve as a reminder of the importance of sex offender registration and the consequences of violating the SORNA. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to ensure that sex offenders comply with their registration requirements and that communities are kept safe.

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Case No.: 15-CR-03258-JCH

Public Information Officer: 505-346-6416

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