Corpus Man Sent to Prison for Assaulting a Federal Officer
| U.S. Attorney’s Office September 10, 2012 |
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX—Kenneth Ray Santamaria, 18, of Corpus Christi, Texas, has been handed a federal prison sentence for his conviction of assault of a federal officer, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. Santamaria entered a plea of guilty shortly before trial was about to begin on Tuesday, June 5, 2012.
On Wednesday September 5, 2012, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos sentenced Santamaria to a total of 15 months in federal prison, to be followed a three-term of supervised release.
At the plea hearing, Santamaria admitted that on February 13, 2012, he struck a local deputy United States Marshal in the face with a closed fist. The deputy was attempting to serve a fugitive warrant at a residence in Corpus Christi and was attempting to subdue an unruly citizen. Several residents from the surrounding area were present and witnessed the assault.
Santamaria has been in custody since his arrest on February 13, 2012, where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sam Brown IV.