Albright sentenced to 6 months in prison, 6 months house arrest for failing to register as sex offender

U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona last Sept. 22 sentenced Stephen Edward Albright to six months in prison, with credit for time served, followed by six months of house arrest with location monitoring for failing to register as a sex offender.

Manglona also imposed five years of supervised release and ordered Albright to pay a $100 special assessment. The court minutes state that Manglona imposed mandatory and special conditions of supervised release.

Outside the courthouse following the sentencing, Albright's court-appointed attorney, Mark Scoggins, described the outcome as favorable.

“It's a very favorable sentence,” Scoggins told Marianas Press.

“I still believe that Mr. Albright did not need to be in jail any longer than he already has been in jail,” he added. “He's not a danger to the community. He doesn't pose any risk to anyone. He just wants to go home and live his life in peace.”

Albright appeared in court wearing red prison overalls. His handcuffs were removed shortly after, and he conferred with Scoggins before addressing the court from the lectern.

During his allocution, Albright apologized to the court and law enforcement officers and expressed shame and remorse over his actions, according to Marianas Press' notes from the hearing. He also spoke about his mental health and his desire not to fail his wife again.

Albright became emotional several times as he spoke, his voice cracking and prompting him to pause. At one point, he apologized for his tears. Scoggins stood beside him as he addressed the court.

The official court minutes confirm that Albright gave an allocution after Scoggins presented his sentencing recommendation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garth R. Backe then presented the government's sentencing recommendation.

In explaining the sentence, Manglona addressed the seriousness of Albright's felony conviction and its continuing consequences in his life, according to Marianas Press' notes from the hearing.

The official minutes state that Manglona imposed the sentence after considering the federal sentencing factors under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a).

Earlier in the proceeding, Manglona addressed a prior court notice concerning the term of supervised release and advised Albright about the maximum authorized term. Albright confirmed that he had discussed the matter with Scoggins and maintained his guilty plea.

The court and the parties also reviewed the final presentence investigation report and Albright's Veterans Affairs medical records.

Scoggins informed the court that Albright's wife had located a place for them to live. The court advised the parties that the sentence could be modified if the residence was not prepared for location monitoring.

The minutes also state that U.S. Probation Officer Aysha Roberto informed the court that, when Albright was initially arrested, he reported that a friend had his passport. Albright later reported that his wife received the passport in the mail.

Following sentencing, Albright was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Albright had pleaded guilty to one count of failure to register as a sex offender under 18 U.S.C. § 2250(a), pursuant to a plea agreement filed June 18.

Under the factual basis of the agreement, Albright stipulated that from about March 30, 2023, through Sept. 12, 2024, he was required to register under the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, or SORNA, but knowingly failed to register or update his registration after traveling in interstate and foreign commerce.

The plea agreement states that Albright was convicted in Alaska in 2005 of sexual abuse of a minor in the third degree and was sentenced to five years in prison, with 42 months suspended on condition that he successfully complete probation. One condition required him to register as a sex offender.

Under SORNA, the agreement states, Albright was classified as a Tier II sex offender and required to keep his registration current for 25 years, including appearing in person every six months to verify his registry information and provide a current photograph.

The agreement further states that CNMI Department of Public Safety officers arrested Albright in March 2022 for alleged violations of local sex-offender registration requirements. The local case was dismissed without prejudice on April 1, 2022, after Albright signed an acknowledgment of his registration requirements.

According to the stipulated facts, Albright informed the DPS Sex Offender Registry in February 2023 that he intended to relocate to Honolulu and provided a one-way airline ticket as evidence. He ultimately remained in the CNMI and did not report again to the DPS Sex Offender Registry Section.

As part of the plea agreement, the U.S. Attorney's Office agreed not to bring additional charges based on information it possessed at the time concerning the conduct charged in the indictment, unless Albright breached the agreement.