RENO — A sex offender wanted by both the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshals Service (USMS) was arrested Friday in Saint Paul, Minn., by deputy U.S. Marshals.

Justin Richardson has been sought by authorities since August 2009. Richardson was wanted on an outstanding Washoe County Sheriff’s Office warrant for violating Nevada sexual offender registration requirements. In 1994, Richardson was convicted in California of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14. As a result, Richardson was required by law to register as a sex offender in any state where he lived.

During the course of the U.S. Marshals’ investigation, it was determined that Richardson was in violation of the federal Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. With the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s office, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Richardson. Authorities tracked Richardson to Saint Paul, where he was arrested without incident. He was booked into the Sherburne County Jail where he is awaiting his initial appearance on the federal charge.

The Adam Walsh Act in part allows for prosecution of sex offenders who fail to register or keep their registrations current. The statute provides up to 10 years imprisonment, and up to 30 years imprisonment if they commit a crime of violence while noncompliant.

For more information, go to www.usmarshals.gov.