My best guess is that he was convicted of attempted failure to register, not failure to register itself, which would have entailed a 10-year mandatory minimum in the federal system, if I’m not mistaken.

3) Covered sex offender.–Except as otherwise provided, the
term “covered sex offender” means an individual who is a sex
offender by reason of having been convicted of a sex offense
against a minor.

It seems they are overreaching in the application of this statute.

How true. I was in county with a guy facing 20 counts of possession of cp. Other than face a sentence of 100 years that was read at his first appearance, he took a plea on two of the charges, getting five inside and five outside. He, like many of us, didn’t know at the time that registration was required, a life sentence of probation in itself.

While I’m on my soapbox, how is registration not considered probation since you have prohibitions and criminal penalties for not complying?

Additionally, the punishment can be greater since a VOP usually only nets you prison time up to your original charges’ limits while failure to comply with registration will get you a fresh 5 or 15 years inside!

He went to the airport with the intent to travel but did not have the required documents (doesn’t sound too bright) and was not allowed to board the plane so at that point he had already violated the IML requirement of advanced notice.

Nothing scary about it. We are ALL in a database ( check if you don’t believe me https://www.nsopw.gov/ ). Once you purchase a ticket the government knows you intend to use it. This is automated with or without you notifying them.

It is possible to sneak out of the country however, you will become an international criminal wanted by the USA and you will get caught. Why would anyone want to live on the run always looking over their shoulder?

He pleaded guilty. He probably had a crap lawyer who didn’t even put up a defense. I’ve seen the same thing many times with guys in prison who pleaded guilty to a crime that they didn’t actually complete, when the appropriate charge would have been an attempt to commit that crime. Carries a much lighter sentence.

I doubt there’s a database that just tripped when he showed up at the airport. This guy bought a very long distance ticket to a country he couldn’t visit because he didn’t have a visa. That is the basic profile of an Al Qaeda suicide pilot checking into the biggest fuel filled plane on the tarmac for a one way vacation he’ll never take.

TSA probably flagged him as a wannabe terrorist, called the local PD who used his SORNA violation as a pretext to search his entire house for black ISIS flags and child brides and since they didn’t find any of that it become a violating RSO story instead of a “Cops mistake man for terrorist” one.

Good point! I guess it’s intent or “conspiracy” to commit the violation if someone else knew about it.