ROANOKE, VIRGINIA -- A convicted sex offender from Botetourt County who committed a federal crime when he failed to register as a convicted sex offender upon leaving the Commonwealth, was sentenced this afternoon in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke.

Lawrence Randolph Jones, 53, previously pled guilty to one count of failing to register as a convicted sex offender as required by the Sex Offender Registration Notification Act. Today in District Court, Jones was sentenced to 80 months of federal incarceration and a lifetime of supervised release upon his release from prison. The sentenced imposed by the court was significantly higher than what was recommended by the sentencing guidelines. However, in sentencing Jones to 80 months in prison, the Hon. Judge Samuel G. Wilson felt the defendant was a danger to the community and would likely re-offend.

“The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is an important tool which helps law enforcement monitor dangerous sex offenders,” United States Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy said today. “When individuals like Mr. Jones ignore the requirements of the notification law and fail to report their residence as required, this office will hold them accountable.”

Jones previously admitted that he traveled from Virginia to Iowa without giving his state probation officer notice and without providing notification to the Virginia State Police, Sex Offender & Crimes Against Minors Registry within 10 days of leaving Virginia. In addition, Jones did not register with the Iowa Sex Offender Register within three days of arriving in that state.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the United States Marshals. Assistant United States Attorney Charlene Day is prosecuting the case for the United States.

 

 

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