Utah News: A California man has been handed a 15-month prison sentence for assaulting a federal officer with a choke hold. Gabriel Omar Gigena, 42, from Valley Springs, was found guilty by a federal jury in April 2025.
The incident occurred on May 4, 2024, when two USMS officers were attempting to apprehend Gigena at Park City, Utah. During the confrontation, one officer attempted to protect Gigena’s young daughters from harm. Gigena retaliated by placing the officer in a choke hold, leading to charges of assault against a federal officer.
Senior U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart sentenced Gigena not only to imprisonment but also to three years of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti emphasized the severity of Gigena’s actions and vowed that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah has zero tolerance for such threats against public servants.
Acting Special Agent in Charge Albert Kelly of the Salt Lake City FBI underscored the dangers faced by law enforcement officers every day, noting that violence against civil servants will not be tolerated. The investigation into Gigena’s crime was led by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, with Assistant United States Attorneys Sam Pead and J. Drew Yeates prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program dedicated to reducing violent crime and gun violence in our communities. For more information on PSN, visit Justice.gov/PSN.
RELATED: Gigena Gets 15 Months for Choking Federal Marshal
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Key Facts
- State: Utah
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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