Saul Hicks Williams, 36, of Inwood, West Virginia, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to 36 months for failing to register as a sex offender. The conviction stems from a deliberate evasion of federal registration laws between September and November 2015, a period during which Williams vanished from the registry meant to track high-risk individuals.
Williams, already required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act due to a prior state conviction for Sexual Assault in the Third Degree, ignored mandatory check-ins in Berkeley County, West Virginia. That conviction, handed down by the Circuit Court of Berkeley County, triggered lifetime monitoring—rules Williams chose to break.
Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen confirmed the sentencing, underscoring that evading sex offender registration isn’t a paperwork lapse—it’s a federal crime. “This isn’t bureaucracy,” Jividen said in a statement. “This is public safety. Offenders like Williams put communities at risk when they go dark.”
In October 2016, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of “Failure to Register as a Sex Offender,” cutting short a federal investigation led by the United States Marshals Service. The agency tracked Williams through local records, surveillance, and digital footprints before taking him into custody.
Assistant United States Attorney Anna K. Krasinski prosecuted the case, arguing that Williams’ absence from the registry created a dangerous blind spot for law enforcement and the public. Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh, presiding over the case in Martinsburg, West Virginia, handed down the 36-month sentence, calling the breach of trust “unacceptable and deliberate.”
The case highlights the reach of federal enforcement when state-level sex offender rules are violated. Williams will serve his sentence under federal custody, followed by supervised release, during which he must re-register and remain compliant—or face additional charges. For now, the streets of Berkeley County are one predator short.
Related Federal Cases
- Martinsburg Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Offender Registration Failure · Maryland
- James E. Kelson Gets 30 Months for Sex Offender Registration Failure · West Virginia
- Yeigh Gets 8 Years for Sex Offender Registration Failure · West Virginia
- Beckley Sex Offender Gets 18 Months for Registration Failure · West Virginia
- D.C. Man Convicted of Failure to Update Sex Offender Registration · West Virginia
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Sex CrimesSex CrimesSex CrimesSex Crimes