Fort Hall Man Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

POCATELLO - Montey Curtis Moon, 46, of Fort Hall, Idaho, pleaded guilty on July 19, 2021, to Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., announced today.  Moon was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pocatello on February 10, 2021. Sentencing is set for October 12, 2021, before U.S. District Judge David C. Nye at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.

According to court records, Moon admitted that he was convicted of Rape, in Bannock County, Idaho in 1996. As result of his conviction, he was required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

On multiple occasions in 2018, Moon was informed of his requirement to register or update his sex offender registration while residing on the Fort Hall Reservation.  After those warnings, Moon lived on the Fort Hall Reservation from August 21, 2020, until October 8, 2020. While residing there, the Defendant did not register with the Idaho Sex Offender Registry. When interviewed, Moon admitted he knew he had to register and failed to.

The charge of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and at least five years and up to life of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez credited the cooperative efforts of the Fort Hall Police Department and U.S. Marshals Service, which led to the charges.

Moon was prosecuted for a violation of SORNA passed by Congress in 2006. The Act requires sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction where they reside. Violations of SORNA can be prosecuted in federal court.

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