On or about January 31, 2026, at approximately 2:43 A.M., officers on routine patrol initiated a traffic stop near Lake Street East and 15th Avenue South in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, after observing a car with no front license plate. Upon approaching the car, officers noticed that the rear passenger sitting on the right side of the car was not wearing a seatbelt. The passenger identified himself as W C LUTHER WASHINGTON, 04/12/1968 (“Defendant” herein) and, as officers ran routine checks to confirm his identity, officers learned that Defendant was not compliant with requirements to register as a predatory offender.
Officers arrested Defendant and transported him to the Hennepin County jail. Upon review of Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (“BCA” herein) records, officers confirmed Defendant is required to register his address with local law enforcement and the BCA until November 16, 2067. Officers confirmed that Defendant is a Minnesota Predatory Offender who was convicted of Third- Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct on December 31, 1996 in Hennepin County. Defendant’s registration period was extended to 2067 due to seven prior failures to register.
Defendant has the following prior felony convictions for Failure to Register as a Predatory Offender: ••-CR-••-••••, convicted on or about 3/16/22; ••-CR-••-••••, convicted on or about 12/17/18; ••-CR-••-••••, convicted on or about 2/22/16; ••-CR-••-••••, convicted on or about 5/18/2011; 62-K3-08-000401, convicted on or about 7/9/2008; 62- K1-04-003482, convicted on or about 4/12/2005; and 62-K2-03-000502, convicted on or about 4/16/2003. Defendant was most recently marked as “non-compliant” in the BCA database on or about November 13, 2024, for failure to return verification papers.
Defendant was most recently registered to the primary address of [address omitted] North in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, on October 12, 2023, but he failed to return an annual verification letter sent to this address in 2024. Officers asked Defendant where he has been living, and Defendant stated he has been living at a Remmy Group Home, located at [address omitted] in St. Paul, Minnesota, for “the past couple years.” Officers asked Defendant why he did not notify law enforcement or the BCA that he had moved, and he told officers that he had a stroke “a couple years ago” in North Minneapolis and was in the Hennepin County Medical Center for about a month.
Defendant said he went to the group home when he was released from the hospital. Defendant said he forgot to properly register because he has been “dealing with a lot” since the stroke. Officers confirmed Defendant knew of his duty to register by reviewing the BCA’s 27-point “duty to register” summary, with each point being initialed by Defendant. The summary also includes Defendant’s signature at the bottom. This document was most recently initialed and signed by Defendant on November 29, 2023. Defendant remains in custody.
