Otsego County Man Arrested for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender

DOJ Press

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Michael Hawkins, age 59, of Maryland, New York was arrested today for failing to register and update his registration as a sex offender as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”). The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and David L. McNulty, United States Marshal for the Northern District of New York.

According to the complaint filed against him, Hawkins is required to register as a sex offender because of his 1997 conviction in the State of Rhode Island for First-Degree and Second-Degree Child Molestation. The complaint further alleges that Hawkins has been residing in New York without registering his address for several months and that his last registration shows him as homeless living in Rhode Island.

If convicted, Hawkins faces a maximum imprisonment term of 10 years, supervised release of up to three years starting after he serves any term of imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Hawkins was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric and was detained pending further court proceedings.


The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


This case is being investigated by the United States Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc

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