Louisiana Man Sentenced to Prison for Failure to Update Sex Offender Registration While Residing in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE – Undrio Antwanne Roebuck, 43, of Shreveport, La., was sentenced this morning in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to a year and a day in federal prison for failing to comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) while residing in Hobbs, N.M.  Roebuck will be on supervised release for five years after completing his prison sentence.  He also will be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.

U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez said that Roebuck was convicted for violating SORNA, known as the Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act.  SORNA requires that a convicted sex offender register in each jurisdiction where the offender resides, where the offender is employed, or where the offender is a student, and that the sex offender maintain current registrations. SORNA provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the U.S., and aims to close gaps and loopholes that existed under prior law and generally strengthens the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs.

 “The Marshals Service remains committed to the safety of our many communities, and by working with our local, county, tribal and state law enforcement agencies, every investigative lead will be exhausted,” said U.S. Marshal Conrad E. Candelaria.  “The goal is locating and apprehending sex offenders, a collaborative effort which has been embraced by law enforcement because many of these fugitives remain elusive and go through great lengths to avoid detection and apprehension.  Through effective partnerships, our successes once again have resulted in a dangerous fugitive behind bars so he will no longer be a threat to our children, families and communities.”

Roebuck was arrested in Nov. 2013, in Shreveport, La., on an indictment charging him with failure to register as a sex offender while residing in Lea County, N.M.  Roebuck was required to register as a sex offender because he had been convicted of sexually assaulting a minor in 1999.  Based on that conviction, Roebuck is required to update his sex offender registration every 90 days for the rest of his life.  Roebuck pled guilty to the indictment on March 11, 2014, without the benefit of a plea agreement.

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the U.S. Marshals Service, the Lea County Sheriff’s Department and the Caddo Parish (Louisiana) Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna R. Wright of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.