Oklahoma Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and Possession of Contraband by Inmate

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sapulpa, Oklahoma, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and Possession of Contraband by Inmate. The sentencing took place on May 8, 2023.

Charles Nathaniel Graves, age 37, was sentenced to 3.5 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.

Graves was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2021 for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Graves was also indicted in August of 2022 for Possession of Contraband by Inmate. He pleaded guilty on July 8, 2022, for the first charge and he pleaded guilty on March 31, 2023, on the second charge.

The conviction for the Failure to Register as a Sex Offender charge stems from Graves failing to register as a sex offender as required by federal law between September 1, 2019, and July 7, 2021. Graves had previously been convicted of a sex offense in State court which requires him to register for 25 years upon his release.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The second conviction stems from an incident on March 25, 2022, when Graves, who was in federal custody at the Yankton County Jail in Yankton, South Dakota, was granted a furlough to attend a funeral. Upon his return, Graves was told he would be submitted to a full-body scan. Before the scan could occur, Graves removed a small package that he had inserted into his rectum that contained methamphetamine. He left the package in the room, but it was found by correctional officers and seized as evidence. The package was field-tested and was positive for approximately 5.26 grams of methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Yankton County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.

Graves was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.