Michigan Man Sentenced for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - A self-proclaimed "sovereign diplomat" from Michigan, who had been living in a makeshift camp site in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, and was convicted for not registering as a convicted sex offender as required under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), was sentenced yesterday to 33 months in federal prison.

Deon Andre Green, 38, a.k.a. "Dalayah Assir Yahar'al" was convicted of failing to register as a convicted sex offender following a jury trial in May 2026.

"This office will aggressively target those who place our communities at risk by failing to register as sex offenders," First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. "I commend the U.S. Marshals Service, Virginia State Police, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Browne for their outstanding work on this case."

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in December 2025, U.S. Forest Service personnel encountered Green living at a makeshift camp inside the George Washington National Forest with nine children. Despite Green's attempts to provide officers with a fake name and forged identity documents, they were able to identify him as a Michigan sex offender convicted in 2011 of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. At that time, they referred the investigation to the U.S. Marshal's Service.

Investigators with the U.S. Marshals Service determined that Green had failed to meet his registration requirements under the SORNA.

At trial, it was determined that Green stopped registering as a sex offender in 2017. At sentencing, the Court further found that Green obstructed justice by lying on the witness stand and misleading law enforcement.

The Court ordered that Green would be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from prison.

First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Matthew Davis, Western District of Virginia made the announcement.

The U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Forest Service, and the Virginia State Police investigated the case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Browne is prosecuting the case.