LAKE CHARLES, La. - United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lake Charles resident formerly from Texas pleaded guilty last week to failing to update his sex offender registration.
John L. Edwards, 59, of Lake Charles, pleaded guilty Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of failure to update sex offender registration. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi. According to the guilty plea, the Dallas Police Department received a tip that Edwards was residing in Lake Charles. A warrant was executed, and he was arrested on Dec. 28, 2015 in Lake Charles. Edwards later admitted to moving to Lake Charles from Dallas on June 21, 2015. In 2002, Edwards was sentenced to nine years in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender on a quarterly basis for life. His last registration was in Texas in June of 2014.
Edwards faces up to 10 years in prison, five years to life supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of Aug. 11, 2016 has been set.
The U.S. Marshals Service and Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
