https://archive.triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/north-hills-man-involved-in-teen-sex-ring-pleads-guilty-to-hiding-in-arizona/
North Hills man involved in teen sex ring pleads guilty to hiding in Arizona
U.S. Marshals Services
Daniel Teed
A Marshall man admitted in federal court Wednesday morning that he fled to Arizona earlier this year rather than register as a sex offender and report to prison for his role in a former Ambridge basketball coach's underage sex-trafficking ring.
Daniel Teed, 56, had previously pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor after prosecutors said he was a customer and co-conspirator of Ralph Ruprecht, a former girls basketball coach who used Craigslist and text messages to arrange group sex between two teenage girls and other men at hotels and a Strip District apartment in 2015 and 2016.
Ruprecht pleaded guilty in Allegheny County Court and was sentenced to eight to 16 years in prison.
Teed admitted to knowing that the girl he had sex with was 16 at the time, according to court documents.
U.S. District Judge Arthur Schwab had sentenced Teed to 10 years in federal prison for that case and released him on bond pending the start of his sentence. But he failed to register as a sex offender as required and didn't show up when he was scheduled to begin serving his sentence Jan. 2, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Smolar said.
After a six-week manhunt , U.S. marshals found Teed on Feb. 12 in Flagstaff, Ariz., where he had obtained a state ID card and a Post Office box under a relative's name, Smolar said. He was returned to Pennsylvania and held in the Allegheny County Jail.
Teed pleaded guilty Wednesday to failure to register as a sex offender and failure to report to serve his sentence, both of which could carry a maximum sentence of another 10 years each. But as part of his plea, prosecutors agreed to lower sentencing guidelines. That means he could get as little as 15 to 21 months of additional prison time, though Schwab is not bound to accept those guidelines when he sentences Teed on Sept. 13.
Matthew Santoni is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him a 724-836-6660, msantoni@tribweb.com or via Twitter @msantoni.
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