Rapid City Man Sentenced for Third Failure to Register as Sex Offender Conviction

 United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on January 11, 2021, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.

Joseph Blue Bird, age 33, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Blue Bird was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 11, 2020.  He pled guilty on November 6, 2020.

Blue Bird was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in February 2014.  As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender.  Blue Bird was convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender in 2017, and again in 2018.  On March 6, 2020, Blue Bird was released from custody to begin a period of supervised release but did not subsequently update his sex offender registration.  An arrest warrant was subsequently issued and on May 6, 2020, Blue Bird was arrested in Mobridge, South Dakota.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

Blue Bird was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.