A federal jury has found Randy Joe Fuller, 54, guilty of failing to register as a sex offender. The conviction was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson following a trial before District Judge Susan Richard Nelson in Minneapolis.
“Sex offender registration laws exist for one reason—to protect our communities and our children from known threats,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “When offenders ignore these requirements, they undermine a system designed to keep our families safe. Our duty is to protect children from those who prey on them, and we will use every power under federal law to do exactly that.”
Fuller was previously convicted in 1990 in Fillmore County, Minnesota of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for sexually assaulting a child, receiving a 54-month prison sentence. After his release, he was required under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) to register as a sex offender and maintain updated information until 2039.
SORNA was established in 2006 as part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act to strengthen national efforts around sex offender registration and notification systems.
Fuller failed to keep his registration current multiple times, resulting in three prior state convictions in Minnesota for noncompliance with registration requirements in 2000, 2010, and 2013.
In December 2024, Fuller moved from Iowa back to Houston, Minnesota but did not inform authorities as required by SORNA. His presence came to light when Houston Police responded to his residence due to a verbal altercation in January 2025 and subsequently contacted federal authorities.
After his arrest on failure-to-register charges, Fuller was held at Sherburne County jail. On June 30, 2025, while on a recorded jail call discussing his case, Fuller stated: “I am guilty of failure to register.”
The investigation involved the United States Marshals Service with support from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Houston Police Department in Minnesota, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan B. Gilead and Matthew D. Evans prosecuted the case.
