Houston park ranger accused of extorting men for money ‘in exchange for not being arrested’

HOUSTON – A Houston park ranger is facing charges of official oppression after allegedly targeting men at Cullen Park for money.

Joey Lamar Ellis, 33, was arrested and charged following a complaint from a man who reported that Ellis demanded “money in exchange for not being arrested.”

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Court records say Ellis is a Houston urban park ranger and used his title to harass victims. As a result, the 33-year-old was booked into jail on Tuesday morning. He is now facing felony charges for “official oppression.”

Ellis appeared in court early Wednesday morning but was moved to the 4 a.m. docket due to a code error. KPRC 2′s Holly Galvan has reached out to Ellis’ employer for comment, but has not heard back, as of this writing.

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