Houston ranger targeted gay men in shakedown program, DA says

A Houston Parks Department ranger is accused of using his uniform and a gun to extort money from a gay man in a city park, and may have targeted more people, said Thursday a Harris County prosecutor.

Joey Ellis, 23, of Webster, was arrested Wednesday and charged with official oppression following the encounter Tuesday night in Cullen Park, northwest of Houston.

Ellis made his first appearance in a Harris County courtroom Thursday, when a prosecutor revealed more details about his alleged scheme and said investigators were looking into reports of other potential victims.

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Kimberly Smith, an assistant prosecutor in the DA’s public corruption division, said Ellis was accused of “abusing his authority and his badge.”

Ellis is accused of approaching two men who were in a parked car around 11 p.m. in Cullen Park, Smith said. He asked the men to come out and said something about knowing what gay men do together in the park, Smith said. Ellis threatened to arrest the men and demanded $300, Smith said. He was carrying a gun at the time, but did not remove it, Smith said.

One of the men handed over money and transferred more money to Ellis using a CashApp, Smith said.

Ellis then forced one of the men to strip naked and made him film a confession video about a crime the man did not commit, Smith said. He also allegedly forced the man to use an app to try to convince other gay men to come to the park, Smith said.

The man eventually managed to escape and called police from a gas station, Smith said. Ellis was arrested early Wednesday morning.

Following reports of his initial arrests, Smith said prosecutors learned of another person making a similar complaint about a park ranger in Cullen Park. She said investigators are looking into the complaint and encouraging people who may have been victims to contact authorities.

“We’re just asking that if anyone recognizes this defendant, if anyone feels that he was also a victim, that they come forward and make a report,” Smith said.

Ellis described the charge against Ellis as a “hybrid offense.” The prosecution will be conducted as a felony case, but the punishment Ellis could receive under official oppression is limited to prison time or fines based on a misdemeanor, not a more serious crime. It’s possible that Ellis could be charged with other crimes, Smith said.

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“This defendant was receiving CashApp payments from all of these individuals, essentially in exchange for threats to send them to prison for crimes that don’t even exist,” Smith said.

Ellis was at work at the time of the alleged shakedown, but was supposed to be at Hermann Park, Smith said. He also wasn’t supposed to carry a gun on duty, Smith said.

Ellis was released on bail Wednesday and appeared in court Thursday with his defense attorney, William Weston Rucker. Ellis said nothing as 208th District Court Judge Beverly Armstrong decided the conditions of his release, which include a ban on travel outside the Houston area and an order to stay out of city parks. the city.

After the hearing, Rucker said Ellis was an “upstanding citizen” who had never been in legal trouble before.

“He strongly disputes these charges, and we believe that as the evidence comes to light, it will appear that it was a mistake to bring these charges,” Rucker said.

A parks department spokesperson said Wednesday that Ellis had been removed from the department’s work schedule. Ellis in court said he was unemployed.

He is expected to return to court in August.