Honduran Man Taken into Custody on Federal Warrant for Aggravated Sexual Abuse on the Gila River Indian Nation

TUCSON—Hernan Ramirez-Orteja, 37, of Honduras, was arrested by local authorities on February 25, 2012, in Casa Grande, Arizona. He was later turned over to federal officials on a federal warrant that stemmed from a two-count indictment handed down on June 29, 2011. The indictment charges Ramirez-Orteja with one count of aggravated sexual abuse by use of force or threats and one count of aggravated sexual Aabuse of a person under the age of 12.

Ramirez-Orteja will remain in custody pending trial, which is scheduled to begin before District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson on April 24, 2012. The statutory range of punishment for each of the charged offenses is from 30 years to life in prison.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In determining an actual sentence, Judge Jorgenson will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. Judge Jorgenson, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Tucson and the Tohono O’odham Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Micah Schmit, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.