BIDDEFORD — A man who once registered as a sex offender in the city and then stopped registering in the state has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison.

Jose Velazquez, 34, of Falconer, N.Y., and who is now listed on the Maine Sex Offender Registry as living in South Windham, was sentenced this week at U.S. District Court in Portland.

Velazquez was convicted in state court in January 2009 of two counts of gross sexual assault and furnishing liquor to a minor, according to a prepared statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment with all but three years suspended, followed by four years of probation, and he was informed that he would have to register as a sex offender for life.

On March 1, 2011, Velazquez was released on probation and reminded of his obligation to register as a sex offender, which he did. On Sept. 19, 2011, Velazquez gave written notice that he was changing his address to Biddeford, but then he then stopped registering. 

He pled guilty to failing to register at federal court in September.

In fashioning his sentence, U.S. District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby observed that Velazquez was a high risk individual who had blatantly failed to register as he was required, and that the sentence was necessary to promote respect for the law.

In addition to the 37 months in prison, he was sentenced to 10 years supervised release.

The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.