Oneida County Man Pleads Guilty to Failing to Properly Register as a Sex Offender and to Filing False Reports with the United States Probation Office

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - John F. Reap, age 58, of Rome, New York, pled guilty today in federal court to failing to properly register as a sex offender and to filings false reports with the United States Probation Office announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman United States Marshal David L. McNulty.

As part of his guilty plea, Reap, a previously convicted federal sex offender, admitted that between January 26, 2023, and May 8, 2024, he knowingly failed to report an e-mail address he had created and controlled as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Reap also admitted that during the same period, he filed false reports with the United States Probation Office regarding the same e-mail address and his lack of compliance with SORNA requirements. In addition to pleading guilty to violating SORNA and filing false reports, Reap also admitted that he violated the terms of his supervised release including using an unauthorized, internet-capable phone and maintaining the undisclosed email account.

The SORNA charge filed against Reap carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00 and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. The charge of filing false reports with the United States Probation Office carries a maximum sentence of 8 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00 and a term of supervised release of up to three years. Reap also faces up to an additional 2 years in federal prison for his violation of the conditions of his supervised release. A defendant's sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

The United States Marshals Service and the U.S. Probation Department investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adrian LaRochelle and Richard Southwick 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.