GREENEVILLE—Richard Erling Kelly, 56, was sentenced on Feb. 20, 2013, to serve 41 months in prison by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, U.S. District Judge.  Kelly was convicted at trial in May 2012 of interstate travel without registering as a convicted sex offender. 

Kelly was also ordered to serve 15 years on supervised release upon his release from prison; complete a program of sex offender treatment, drug and substance abuse evaluation and treatment, and a psychosexual evaluation; and pay a $100 special assessment.  He has remained in custody since his arrest on August 30, 2011.

Kelly, who had three prior sex offense convictions in Washington State, Wyoming, and Arizona and a prior conviction for failure to register as a sex offender in violation of Arizona law, left New Orleans, La., in June 2011.  He told authorities in New Orleans that he intended to move to Memphis, Tenn.  When he failed to appear in Memphis, the Louisiana State Police issued a warrant for his arrest and enlisted the aid of the U.S. Marshals Service.  With assistance from the Cocke County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office and the Newport Housing Authority Law Enforcement Office, the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Kelly on August 30, 2011.  At that time, he lived with his girlfriend at her Housing Authority apartment in Newport, Tenn.  He had been present in Tennessee since June 2011, living in various communities without registering as a sex offender. 

For more details, please see the Tuesday edition of the Newport Plain Talk.