Led by the Michigan State Police (MSP) with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, the initiative, known as Operation Verify, is aimed at increasing compliance with the state's sex offender laws. A total of 2,200 sex offenders have been arrested as part of Operation Verify since the first statewide sweep in the fall of 2005.

"Coordinated sweeps like this provide the opportunity to augment law enforcement's daily efforts to protect our children and families by ensuring sex offender registration compliance," said Colonel Peter C. Munoz, Director of the MSP. "In addition to looking for absconders, officers may also conduct random residence checks to confirm registered offenders are actually living at their registered address."

The Michigan Sex Offenders Registration Act requires offenders convicted of a misdemeanor listed offense to report to a local law enforcement agency to verify their address yearly, January 1 through January 15. Offenders convicted of a felony listed offense must report to a local law enforcement agency to verify their address quarterly during the first 15 days of January, April, July and October. Failure to do so is a graduated penalty ranging from a 93-day misdemeanor to a four-year felony. Convicted offenders must also report a change of address within 10 days of moving; failure to do so is a four-year felony.

In addition to Operation Verify, the MSP participates in several local and regional sweeps each year. The department also maintains a list of the Most Wanted Sex Offenders, available at www.michigan.gov/absconders. A total of 25 individuals featured on the Web site have been located and arrested since it began in August 2006.

CONTACT: Sgt. Michele Hernandez, MSP Sex Offender Registry Section,
(517) 322-1378