New York Man Sentenced to Prison for Violating the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Cornell Cordon, 59, of New York, New York, was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for failure to update his registration as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), following interstate travel.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Cordon was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse of a two-year-old female in Putnam County, West Virginia, Circuit Court on July 15, 2019. Because of his conviction, state and federal law require him to register as a sex offender for life. Cordon was living in West Virginia when he obtained permission from his probation officer to visit family in Elizabeth, New Jersey, from April 14, 2025, to April 21, 2025. Cordon failed to return to West Virginia following the authorized trip and there is no record of Cordon registering as a sex offender in New Jersey or in any other state as required.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case

SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-142.

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