Florida man admits to sex offender charge

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jason Lewis Bell, of Keystone Heights, Florida, has admitted to a failure to register charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.

Bell, 35, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Failure to Update Sex Offender Registration.” Bell, a person required to register as a sex offender, admitted to not updating his registration when he lived in Marion County from November 2020 to February 2021.

Bell faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Wagner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.