Brandon Lee Smith, 40, of Crown Point, is wanted after authorities said he failed to comply with sex offender registry requirements between December 30, 2025 and April 6, 2026, and his current whereabouts are unknown.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Smith was previously convicted on April 16, 2012 of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor, a Class B felony, in Jasper County, Indiana, and was ordered to register as a sex offender. Due to incarceration time following that conviction, his registration requirement was extended to January 21, 2031.
Court documents state Smith has prior convictions for Failure to Register as a Sex or Violent Offender, including convictions in 2015 and 2019.
Investigators reported that Smith last registered on December 23, 2025 with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, listing a temporary address at the Lake County Community Corrections Center in the 2600 block of West 93rd Avenue in Crown Point. Because he was residing at a temporary address, Smith was required to re-register every seven days.
Police said Smith was scheduled to re-register on or by December 30, 2025, but failed to do so. Records indicate Smith had been registering weekly at that location since October 30, 2025.
According to the affidavit, Smith was released from the Lake County Community Corrections Center on December 27, 2025 and was directed to report to the Lake County Sheriff’s Department Sex and Violent Offender Registry Unit as well as his parole officer, which he failed to do.
Authorities stated that Smith’s Indiana identification card still lists the Community Corrections Center as his address, which is no longer valid, and that he has not updated his address as required by registry statutes. Investigators also reported they were unable to locate a current address for Smith and found no recent law enforcement contact. Database checks further indicated he was not incarcerated in Indiana or Illinois.
As of April 6, 2026, court documents state Smith had not returned to the Lake County Sheriff’s Department to re-register as required.
Charges filed April 10,2026:
• Failure to Register as a Sex or Violent Offender with Prior Conviction – Level 5 Felony
• Failure to Register as a Sex or Violent Offender with Prior Unrelated Conviction – Level 5 Felony
• Failure to Register as a Sex or Violent Offender with Prior Unrelated Conviction – Level 5 Felony
