United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Fort Thompson man convicted of Failing to Register as a Sex Offender.
Michael Lovejoy, age 41, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Lovejoy was indicted by a federal grand jury in December of 2022. He pleaded guilty on September 25, 2023.
Lovejoy is required to register as a sex offender under federal law. Lovejoy registered an address in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, with tribal authorities in early September of 2022 following his release from prison. In mid-September, Lovejoy moved to McLaughlin, South Dakota, where he disregarded several warnings from his probation officer and tribal authorities to update his registration. Lovejoy then absconded to Fort Thompson, South Dakota. Lovejoy did not update his registration until his arrest for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender in May of 2023.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the U.S Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Lovejoy was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
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