Source: United States Department of Justice News
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Daniel Jerome Wagner, 54, of Phoenix, Arizona, was arrested on one count of Assault on a Federal Officer with the Use of a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon. Wagner was charged by criminal complaint and had his initial appearance on Friday before United States Magistrate Judge Eric J. Markovich.
On September 21, 2022, near Douglas, Arizona, a U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agent attempted to conduct an immigration inspection of a vehicle driven by Wagner, who was suspected of engaging in smuggling undocumented noncitizens. The agent followed Wagner’s vehicle, which was traveling westbound at a high rate of speed on U.S. State Route 80. Wagner then abruptly stopped his vehicle, causing the vehicle to spin in the middle of the highway. The agent stopped his vehicle and saw Wagner driving eastbound directly towards his fully marked U.S. Border Patrol vehicle. As Wagner drove towards the agent, he crossed into the agent’s lane, forcing the agent to drive off the highway and onto the shoulder to avoid being struck. Wagner drove past the agent’s vehicle, narrowly missing him. Other agents followed Wagner and eventually arrested him.
A conviction for Assault on a Federal Officer with the Use of a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to$250,000, or both.
A criminal complaint is simply the 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.
Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Arellano, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 22-00607MJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-162_Wagner
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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