Nicki Minaj‘s husband Kenneth Petty turned himself in to federal custody on Wednesday after reportedly failing to register as a sex offender in California.
“Kenneth Petty self-surrendered to the U.S. Marshals in Los Angeles today,” spokesperson Lynzey Donahue said in a statement to USA Today on Wednesday.
Petty, 41, was convicted of first-degree attempted rape 25 years ago in New York and served four years behind bars. He was released in January 1999.
After his release, Petty was ordered to register as a sex offender within the state of New York, but he failed to re-register when he moved to California in July 2019 after marrying Minaj.
Petty was arrested in November 2019 during a traffic stop by the Beverly Hills Police Department, and authorities determined he was a registered sex offender in New York state but had not registered in California.
He was released on a $20,000 bond, but authorities said he failed to go through with the registration, which is required under the 2006 Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to SORNA, a sex offender is “required to update their registration in each jurisdiction they reside, are employed, or attend school,” and failure to register is considered a federal crime.
Petty now faces charges of failing to register, and if convicted of the felony charge, he could get a maximum 10-year prison sentence.
On Wednesday, he made an initial court appearance, which included his bond hearing and arraignment. He pleaded not guilty, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and has been released on a $100,000 bond.
“He is required to submit to electronic monitoring, and his travel was restricted to southern California,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office told Fox News.
According to Petty’s New York State Sex Offender Registry, he is registered as a Level 2 sex offender.
The registry states Petty was convicted of attempted first-degree rape in April 1995 in connection with a 1994 assault that occurred when he and the victim were both 16 years old. It also mentions he used a knife or cutting instrument during the crime.
In 2006, Petty pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the 2002 fatal shooting of Lamont Robinson. He was given a 10-year prison sentence but was released in 2013 after serving seven years.
Petty is expected to have a hearing on March 23 to determine the next steps in the trial, which will take place on April 28.
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