Following a confrontation at an Oklahoma City business, a federal jury has convicted a felon named Ortiz on charges of illegal firearm possession and witness tampering. As reported on February 18 by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Oklahoma, the incident, dated October 14, 2024, involved Ortiz allegedly striking a vehicle and drawing a firearm before fleeing upon noticing a surveillance camera. Oklahoma City Police Department officers later arrested him at his home, where they found and seized a firearm.
During the trial, it was revealed that Ortiz went to significant lengths to try to manipulate the outcome of the case against him. Key evidence demonstrated that Ortiz made phone calls and sent texts, and also communicated through third parties, to pressure a witness to claim ownership of the gun and to falsely attest to Ortiz's ignorance of its existence. These actions culminated in a jury finding him guilty on February 10 on both the firearm possession and witness tampering charges.
Ortiz's criminal history includes prior felony convictions. These are cited from public records as eluding an officer, use of a vehicle in the discharge of a weapon, and a rioting charge, among others, in different District Court cases within Oklahoma. With the recent guilty verdict, the repercussions Ortiz now faces are severe. At sentencing, he could serve up to 35 years in federal prison, with potential fines reaching half a million dollars, as noted in the press release.
The case against Ortiz was brought to a head by the collaborative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary E. Walters and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Laney Ellis, funded by a federal Project Safe Neighborhoods grant, worked together to successfully prosecute the case. Project Safe Neighborhoods aims to unite law enforcement at all levels with the broader community they serve, to comprehensively reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods inherently safer.
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