Current:Home > MarketsEx-guard at NYC federal building pleads guilty in sex assault of asylum seeker -AssetVision
Ex-guard at NYC federal building pleads guilty in sex assault of asylum seeker
View
Date:2025-04-15 06:39:12
NEW YORK (AP) — A former security guard at a federal building in New York City where the FBI has its offices pleaded guilty Wednesday to a federal charge related to the sexual assault of an asylum seeker.
Jimmy Solano-Arias, 42, of the Bronx, entered the plea in Manhattan federal court to making a false statement to the FBI about the sexual assault, authorities said.
As part of his plea deal, he agreed that federal sentencing guidelines recommend the maximum five-year prison term and that his scheduled July 9 sentencing should proceed under sentencing calculations made as if he had also been convicted of a charge of sexually abusing a vulnerable victim.
Without the plea deal, Solano-Arias could have faced life in prison if he had been convicted of a charge of deprivation of rights under color of law involving kidnapping and aggravated sexual abuse.
Solano-Arias remains free on bail following the May 4, 2023, attack at 26 Federal Plaza, a building across the street from the federal courts complex.
In an appearance before a magistrate judge, Solano-Arias admitted to lying to FBI agents a day after the attack.
He said he “initially said no such act took place.” Then, he added: “I’m sorry.”
Solano-Arias said he was a lawyer in the Dominican Republic before he came to the U.S. and gained citizenship.
He was hired by a company that provides security services at the lower Manhattan building near City Hall, the city’s police headquarters and numerous courts.
In a release, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said Solano-Arias had “abused the trust and privileges” of his job.
“Instead of working to keep the many federal employees and visitors at 26 Federal Plaza safe, Solano-Arias exploited his position of authority to sexually abuse an individual seeking asylum protection in the United States,” he said.
According to court documents, Solano-Arias spotted the victim in a line and offered to assist him with paperwork.
He eventually led the man to a locked office on the second floor of the building where he put his hand on his holstered firearm and demanded that the man provide oral sex, a criminal complaint said.
Although he initially resisted, the man complied because he saw Solano-Arias’s hand on his firearm and feared for his life, the complaint said.
After the attack, the man managed to record a brief video on his cellphone of Solano-Arias, and then reported the assault to authorities, the complaint said.
When Solano-Arias arrived for work the next day, federal agents confronted him. After initially denying any encounter with the victim, he later claimed that what occurred was consensual, authorities said.
veryGood! (52485)
Related
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Ethan Hawke's Son Levon Joins Dad at Cannes Film Festival After Appearing With Mom Uma Thurman
- These Amazon Travel Essentials Will Help You Stick To Your Daily Routine on Vacation
- Dua Lipa and Boyfriend Romain Gavras Make Their Red Carpet Debut as a Couple at Cannes
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- 'You forget to eat': How Ozempic went from diabetes medicine to blockbuster diet drug
- Greenland’s Melting: Heat Waves Are Changing the Landscape Before Their Eyes
- Greenland’s Melting: Heat Waves Are Changing the Landscape Before Their Eyes
- New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
- Washington state stockpiles thousands of abortion pills
Ranking
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- Iam Tongi Wins American Idol Season 21
- Rover Gas Pipeline Builder Faces Investigation by Federal Regulators
- Ulta 24-Hour Flash Deal: Save 50% On the L’Ange Rotating Curling Iron That Does All the Work for You
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- 'Cancel culture is a thing.' Jason Aldean addresses 'Small Town' backlash at Friday night show
- An Arctic Offshore Drilling Plan Advances, but Impact Statement Cites Concerns
- Where gender-affirming care for youth is banned, intersex surgery may be allowed
Recommendation
Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
Mass shooting in St. Louis leaves 1 juvenile dead, 9 injured, police say
These retailers and grocery stores are open on Juneteenth
5 young women preparing for friend's wedding killed in car crash: The bright stars of our community
Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
Julian Sands' cause of death ruled 'undetermined' one month after remains were found
5 young women preparing for friend's wedding killed in car crash: The bright stars of our community
Collapsed section of Interstate 95 to reopen in 2 weeks, Gov. Josh Shapiro says