Houston ranger accused of extorting money from men ‘in exchange for their arrest’

HOUSTON – A Houston park ranger faces official oppression charges after allegedly targeting men in 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.”

Court records say Ellis is a Houston city park ranger and used his title to harass victims. As a result, the 33-year-old man was taken into custody Tuesday morning. He now faces criminal charges for “official oppression.”

Ellis appeared in court early Wednesday morning, but was transferred at 4 a.m. due to a coding error. KPRC 2’s Holly Galvan reached out to Ellis’ employer for comment but did not receive a response as of this writing.

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