Wood River Man Sentenced for Failure to Reigster as a Sex Offender

A Wood River man, John David Allen, 22, was sentenced to the maximum term of 10 years’ imprisonment in United States District Court, East St. Louis for failure to register as a sex offender, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Allen was also sentenced to five years’ supervised release to follow imprisonment, a $100 fine, and a $100 special assessment. There is no parole in the federal system. Allen has been in custody since his arrest on September 21, 2011.

According to court documents, on December 20, 2010, Allen was convicted of a sex crime in Madison County, Illinois, which required him to register as a sex offender. On August 29, 2011, he signed and dated an Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act Registration Form explaining the registration requirements and acknowledging his understanding of them. That form also clearly notified Allen that he must register again on or before September 5, 2011. Allen failed to register with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department or any other law enforcement agency on September 5, 2011 or thereafter. A warrant for Allen’s arrest was issued by a Madison County Court on September 19, 2011. On September 21, 2011, Allen was located and arrested in the state of Colorado, where he had traveled via automobile from Madison County, Illinois with a 15-year-old girl, who had been reported missing on September 14, 2011.

The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the FBI. The prosecution of the case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey.