Tennessee sex offender enters guilty plea

United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill announced to Historic City News that a convicted sexual offender from Tennessee, who failed to register once he moved to Putnam County, pled guilty to federal charges in Jacksonville last week.

Darrell Roger Coffey, who is 31 years-old, last listed his residence as “homeless” with Tennessee authorities in Morristown, TN. Coffey has been in custody since his arrest on February 9, 2011 in Interlachen, FL.

According to court documents, on January 13, 2010, Coffey pled guilty to aggravated statutory rape in state court in Jefferson County, Tennessee, and was convicted and sentenced to a term of two years imprisonment in Tennessee state prison.

Coffey was released in September 2010 and placed on probation for a term of one year and four months. A warrant for Coffey’s arrest was issued when he violated the terms of his probation when he failed to report for scheduled meetings with his probation officer in October and November.

Subsequent investigation by the State of Tennessee Probation office in Morristown, Tennessee and the United States Marshals Service revealed that Coffey fled from the state of Tennessee and had been living near Palatka since last November. Coffey never registered with the State of Florida nor did he notify Tennessee authorities that he was leaving the state; as required by law.

Coffey now faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine; however, a sentencing date has not yet been set.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, the State of Tennessee Probation Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.