Syracuse Man Indicted For Failure to Register As a Sex Offender

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Carl Switala, 34, was indicted yesterday for failing to register as a sex offender after he moved to Syracuse, New York from North Carolina, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian.

The indictment alleges that Switala moved to Syracuse from Raleigh, North Carolina in November 2015 and lived in the area without registering as a sex offender for more than four months prior to being arrested. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Switala was previously arrested on April 4, 2016 pursuant to a Criminal Complaint. On April 7, 2016, Switala appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Andrew T. Baxter for a detention hearing after which he was ordered held without bail pending trial.

The charge against Switala carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

This case is being investigated by the United States Marshals Service Sex Offender Investigation Branch and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Levine.

This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.