St. Francis Man Charged with Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a St. Francis, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.

Joseph Blue Bird, age 30, was indicted on September 13, 2016. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Mark A. Moreno on March 29, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, a mandatory minimum period of at least 5 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

The Indictment alleges that between June 16, 2016, and September 13, 2016, Blue Bird, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of a conviction, knowingly failed to register and update his registration as required by law.

The charge is merely an accusation and Blue Bird is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is prosecuting the case.

Blue Bird was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial, which has been set for May 23, 2017.