Wilmington Man Federally Indicted for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender

DOJ Press

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging Rafaelito Rivera, 51, of Wilmington, Delaware, with failing to register as a sex offender.  The grand jury returned the indictment on March 22, 2022.  Members of the U.S. Marshals Service located and arrested Mr. Rivera today.

The Indictment alleges that for the past 10 years, Rivera, also known as “Omar Velez Perez,” knowingly failed to update his registration as required by the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”).

SORNA establishes a comprehensive national system for the registration of sex offenders.  It requires a sex offender to register in each jurisdiction where the offender resides, or where the offender is an employee.  SORNA also requires sex offenders to keep this registration information current by updating it after each change of name, residence, or employment.  Sex offenders have three days to provide notice of any changes.

If convicted of violating SORNA, Rivera faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.


The case is being investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Briana Knox is prosecuting the case.


A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

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