Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Billings on April 8, 2009, before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, JESSIE PHILLIP YELLOWROBE, age 55, pled guilty to failure to register as a sexual offender. Sentencing is set for July 9, 2009. He is currently detained.

In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On May 13, 2004, YELLOWROBE was sentenced to 21 months custody followed by three years supervised released for a conviction of abusive sexual contact. YELLOWROBE served his time and was released, but then revoked for violating various conditions of supervised release.

When released from prison again in February 2008, YELLOWROBE registered with the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office, listing the Montana Rescue Mission as his residence. When contacted by a probation officer in March, the Rescue Mission reported that YELLOWROBE had not lived there since February 18,2008, and his whereabouts were unknown.

YELLOWROBE was finally located and arrested on March 20, 2008, but he had not been at his registered address during any of that time period.

The Montana Sexual and Violent Offender Registry confirmed that YELLOWROBE did not update his registration as required by law and the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office also verified that he had not updated his registration through their office.

YELLOWROBE faces possible penalties of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and lifetime supervision.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia K. Hurd prosecuted the case for the United States.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service.

A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.

 

 

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