Former Houston park ranger charged with sexual assault and extortion of multiple victims

HOUSTON - A 34-year-old Houston resident has been federally indicted for repeatedly abusing his authority as a City of Houston urban park ranger by stopping, detaining and assaulting victims who visited city parks late at night, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment Dec. 3 charging Joey Lamar Ellis with 20 counts representing accusations of civil rights violations perpetrated against eight victims.

He is expected to make his initial appearance at 2 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Edison.

According to the charges, Ellis positioned his city-issued vehicle behind the victims’ vehicles to prevent them from leaving. In many instances, he allegedly confiscated their driver’s licenses and/or cell phones. Ellis falsely accused his victims of committing various crimes and threatened their cars would be towed or they would be arrested, according to the charges.

As the encounter progressed, Ellis allegedly offered the victims a way out of being towed, charged and arrested. On some occasions, Ellis allegedly  demanded money. On others, he assaulted his victims and at times demanded sexual acts, such as groping one victim, forcing another to strip naked and sexually assaulting another, according to the charges. During multiple instances, Ellis allegedly utilized his firearm in such a way to threaten his victims. He also instructed at least one victim to not tell anyone, according to the charges.

“The indictment accuses Ellis of leveraging his authority to intimidate victims, demanding money or, in more disturbing instances, forcing them into unwanted sexual acts,” said Hamdani. “This alleged breach of public trust underscores the horror of those using their power for alleged unlawful gains, leaving communities questioning the integrity of their protectors.”

If you believe you have been a victim or know someone who has, please fill out a quick this quick Seeking Victims online FBI form or contact the FBI Houston Field Office at 713-693-5000.

The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharad Khandelwal and Rebekah Saunders are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.