June 19, 2007

Grand juries indict first two South Florida cases charging violation of Adam Walsh Act

MIAMI - R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Anthony V. Mangione, acting special agent in charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Marshal Christina Pharo, announced that a federal grand jury in Miami indicted defendant Faisad Nader Palis Friday on charges that he intentionally failed to register as a sex offender in Florida and illegally re-entered the United States. The day before, on June 14, 2007, another federal grand jury in Miami indicted defendant Richard Maurice Dumont, in a separate case, on charges that he intentionally failed to register as a sex offender in Florida.

These charges mark the first indictments in the Southern District of Florida for failure to register as a sex offender, in violation of the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act, which became effective in July 2006.

According to the criminal complaint filed against defendant Faisad Nader Palis, Palis was convicted of multiple counts of sexual battery of a victim under 12 years old, engaging in a sexual act with a familial child, and lewd assault on July 17, 2000. These convictions stemmed from previous incidents in which Nader Palis sexually abused a child under 12 years old. Nader Palis pled guilty to these crimes and was ultimately sentenced to nine years incarceration. Because he was a citizen of Colombia, he was subsequently deported from the United States on May 27, 2005. Due to the nature of this conviction, if he returned to the United States after his deportation, he was required, pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, to register as a sex offender upon his return to the United States. On Feb. 17, 2007, Nader Palis was found in Miami-Dade County and arrested on unrelated state charges. He had not registered as a sex offender. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance at U.S. Magistrate Court in Miami today at 1:30 P.M., where the United States will ask the court to detain the defendant.

According to the criminal complaint affidavit filed against defendant Dumont, Dumont was convicted of second degree child molestation in Woonsocket, Rhode Island on Feb. 23, 2004. The conviction stemmed from a previous incident in which Dumont had fondled the 12-year-old daughter of his former roommate. He ultimately was given a suspended sentence and sentenced to eight (8) years' probation. Due to the nature of this conviction, Dumont was required pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act to register as a sex offender in Rhode Island. He further was required to notify law enforcement officials of any change of address and verify that new address both in Rhode Island and in his new residential location. Despite these requirements, in the early part of 2007, Dumont absconded from his probationary supervision in Rhode Island and moved to Big Pine Key, Florida. On March 12, 2007, he informed his probation officer in Rhode Island of both his move and new location in Big Pine Key. As a result of his absconding from supervision, a warrant was issued for Dumont's arrest on May 8, 2007, and he was arrested eight (8) days later at his camper trailer in Big Pine Key. On March 14, 2007, the defendant was ordered detained.

Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the United States Marshals Service in Miami, the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Sex Offender Unit in Tallahassee, Florida. Assistant United States Attorneys Randy Katz and Benton Curtis of the Major Crimes Section are prosecuting these cases.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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