Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Billings on August 31, 2009, before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, ISAIAH THOMAS FOLLET, a 27-year-old resident of Wolf Point, pled guilty to failure to register as a sexual offender. He is currently detained.

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia K. Hurd, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On September 7, 2001, in the Fort Peck Tribal Court, FOLLET was convicted of aggravated sexual assault on a child. FOLLET was sentenced to 90 days incarceration and ordered to register as a sexual offender. FOLLET was informed of that obligation during his sentencing and in the court's judgment.

FOLLET resided in Wolf Point on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and registered his address with the Fort Peck Tribal Registry. He last updated his registration on May 14, 2008. When a Fort Peck Reservation's Tribal Compliance officer went to FOLLET'S registered residence, he determined that FOLLET was no longer living there and had possibly moved to Billings the first part of December 2008.

On December 30, 2008, the Compliance officer notified the U.S. Marshals Service that FOLLET had left his last known registered residence in Wolf Point and moved to Billings and that he had failed to register or update his registration as required by Montana law.

A review of the Montana Sexual and Violent Offender Registry confirmed that FOLLET did not register with them as required by law and the Fort Peck Tribe also verified that he had not updated his registration through their office.

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

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Fort Peck Reservation's Tribal Compliance Office and 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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