METAIRIE MAN INDICTED FOR GUN VIOLATION AND FAILURE TO REGISTER AS SEX OFFENDER
JOSEPH C. DELAY, age 40, a resident of Metairie, Louisiana, was charged yesterday in a two-count indictment by a Federal Grand Jury for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and failure to register as a sex offender, announced
U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to the indictment, on or about March 9, 2012, DELAY was found to be in possession of a Lorcin Model L380, a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol. In addition, the indictment alleges that on or about August 18, 1995, DELAY entered a plea of guilty to: Forcible Rape, in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. DELAY’s conviction for forcible rape required him to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. DELAY was required to register with law enforcement and complete a Sex Offender Registration Form (Registration Form) within three days every time he changed his address. From March, 2007, through October, 2011, DELAY completed approximately seven (7) Registration Forms. On or about January 3, 2012, DELAY failed to appear for his annual registration update at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Sometime in March, 2012, DELAY moved from Louisiana to Georgia and failed to notify law enforcement authorities of his move to Georgia.
If convicted of the gun charge, DELAY faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a fine of $250,000 and up to three (3) years of supervised release. Regarding the failure to register charge, DELAY faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a fine of $250,000 and up to three (3) years of supervised release.
U. S. Attorney Letten reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, Assistant U. S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba.
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