A former park ranger from Houston faces serious federal charges after allegedly abusing his position to sexually assault and extort multiple visitors at city parks. Joey Lamar Ellis, 34, has been indicted on 20 counts that include allegations of violations against the civil rights of eight different victims. This concerning development was first shared in a statement released by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The indictment, which a federal grand jury returned last Tuesday, accuses Ellis of using his city-issued vehicle to trap victim's vehicles, making it impossible for them to leave. The former ranger allegedly exacerbated the threatening situation by taking their driver's licenses and/or cell phones, falsely accusing them of crimes. He then presented the victims with an ultimatum: face arrest or comply with his demands, which ranged from monetary extortion to performing sexual acts. As reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, these encounters often featured Ellis utilizing his firearm to intimidate.
Ellis appeared in court yesterday at 2 p.m. for the initial hearing on these charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Edison. As the case unfolds, authorities are encouraging anyone who believes they may have been a victim or who knows someone affected to come forward. The FBI's Houston Field Office can be contacted at 713-693-5000, or people can fill out a "Seeking Victims" online form provided by the FBI to assist in the investigation, as noted in the press release.
With the assistance from the Houston Police Department, the FBI spearheaded the investigation into Ellis's conduct. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharad Khandelwal and Rebekah Saunders handle prosecuting the case.
