Arizona Resident Charged With Failing To Pay Child Support To RI Family

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – John Crosslin, 51, of San Tan Valley, Arizona, has been charged in federal court in Providence with failing to pay legal child support obligations for his son totaling more than $116,000, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

According to an information filed in federal court today by the United States Attorney’s Office, in December 1994, a judge of the Rhode Island Family Court initially ordered the defendant to pay child support of $55 per week for his son. Effective July 2001, the Family Court ordered the support payment increased to approximately $152 per week.

It is alleged in court documents that since being ordered to make child support payments, John Crosslin has made only sporadic payments, if any, under the Family Court’s order.  As of January 14, 2014, the defendant’s arrearage on his child support payments is approximately $116,391.66.

According to court documents, while the defendant has resided in other states, including Colorado and Arizona, he has had the ability to make child support payments but has failed to do so.

Failure to meet child support obligations, as defined in 8 U.S.C. '228(f)(3), is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 6 months in federal prison or 5 years probation, a $5,000 fine, 1 year supervised release, and mandatory restitution equal to the unpaid support obligation.

An information is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly.

The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Rhode Island Child Support Enforcement Office.

A court date in this matter has not yet been scheduled.

###

To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/

Contact: 401-709-5357
USARI.Media@usdoj.gov