Offender charged after registration violation

Published 8:30 pm Sunday, April 8, 2018

A Fairmont predatory offender who allegedly violated his registration requirements was charged with a felony Friday in Freeborn County District Court.

Bradley Allen Merrill

Bradley Allen Merrill, 53, is charged with two counts of felony predatory offender registration violation. 

Court documents state Merrill was charged after a Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office detective checked on the status of Merrill on March 27. Merrill is required to register in the state of Minnesota after he was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and second-degree criminal sexual conduct in 1993.

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Merrill was reportedly deemed non-compliant after he failed to return a verification letter from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Minnesota Predatory Offender Registration Office on Feb. 12. The letter was returned to the BCA three days later.

Court documents state the detective went to Merrill’s last registered primary residence — a trailer in Clarks Grove. Merrill was reportedly not there. A property manager reportedly said Merrill had not been in the trailer during the time she was property manager starting Oct. 31.

In a phone call, Merrill reportedly admitted moving out of the residence in October.

Judge Ross Leuning set conditional bail at $15,000. Merrill’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 19.

A felony predatory offender registration violation carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

About Sam Wilmes

Sam Wilmes covers crime, courts and government for the Albert Lea Tribune.

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