Fargo Man Gets 20-Year Sentence, 10 to Serve

Fargo (trfnews.i234.me) — A Fargo man received a 20-year sentence Tuesday in a sexual assault case.

Paul Edward Pelaez must first serve 10 years in prison under the sentence.

Pelaez entered an Alford plea in April to one count of gross sexual imposition.

The offense is classified as a Class AA felony in North Dakota.

An Alford plea allows a defendant to maintain innocence while accepting that prosecutors have enough evidence for conviction.

Ten Years Ordered in Custody

Cass County District Judge Scott Diamond sentenced Pelaez to 20 years with state corrections.

The judge ordered Pelaez to serve 10 years of that sentence in custody.

The remaining 10 years are suspended while Pelaez completes five years of supervised probation.

Those suspended years could be imposed if Pelaez violates probation conditions.

Pelaez received credit for 596 days already spent in custody.

That time will count toward the 10-year prison term.

The sentence also requires Pelaez to register as a sex offender.

He must complete sex offender treatment and follow a no-contact order involving the victim.

The judgment also states that a mandatory minimum sentence applies.

Seven other charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Those included three additional counts of gross sexual imposition.

Two terrorizing counts were also dismissed.

A misdemeanor charge involving the deprivation of a minor was dismissed as well.

The dismissed charges did not result in convictions.

Pelaez was arrested by a SWAT team in January 2025.

A woman told investigators that Pelaez sexually assaulted her after waking her during the night.

She also reported threats involving her workplace and her father.

Some of those alleged threats were sent or posted through Facebook, according to court records.

More information about the original arrest was reported by Valley News Live.

The criminal case experienced several delays before sentencing.

A court-ordered evaluation was conducted at the North Dakota State Hospital.

The evaluation addressed Pelaez’s ability to proceed in the criminal case.

It also addressed questions surrounding criminal responsibility, according to court records.

Public court records can be searched through the North Dakota Court System.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.