FBI arrests horny Joplin attorney on bribery, drug charges

Federal bribery and drug charges were filed against an Ottawa County assistant district attorney who allegedly provided Xanax and Oxycodone and performed a warrant search for a woman in exchange for sex.

According to the probable cause affidavit, which was filed Monday in U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Daniel Thomas Giraldi, a Joplin resident, began trading favors for sex during his previous employment at a private law firm in Ottawa County.

Giraldi is charged with bribery, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and use of a communication device in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Giraldi's preliminary hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. May 16.

The allegations against Giraldi are detailed in the probable cause affidavit:

In summary, Giraldi was an assistant district attorney (ADA), in the Ottawa County District Attorney's office from February 2019 to April 20, 2022.

In his position as an ADA, Giraldi would receive sexual favors in exchange for special treatment for certain defendants and their cases. Additionally, Giraldi coerced, induced and enticed women to travel within the territory or possession of the United States for paid sexual intercourse both with U. S. dollars and in exchange for controlled substances, including schedule II and schedule IV substances.

Prior to becoming an ADA, Giraldi was a criminal defense attorney and handled cases in Ottawa County, including the representation of Bryan Young. Young referred to Giraldi as "Vegas G," "G" or "Vegas."

While Giradli was a defense attorney with the Hartley Law Firm he represented Young and was known to accept sexual favors from women in return for helping Young's associates and as payment for services rendered.

When Giraldi was hired as an ADA for Ottawa County in 2019, Young used his prior connection with Giraldi to obtain favors for his associates.

On April 12, 2022, an FBI confidential source ("CHS") made contact with Giraldi was he was leaving the Ottawa County Courthouse. The interaction was audio/video recorded by the FBI.

CHS asked Giraldi to look into her child custody case and the child custody case of Carla Rhines. Giraldi agreed to look into it and to push back a court date for Rhines. Giraldi admitted to handling child custody cases in Ottawa County.

During the interaction, Giraldi talked about past sexual encounters with CHS and referenced past favors he had performed in exchange for sexual encounters. CHS said that Giraldi had "dismissed my s--t" in the past and Giraldi responded, "Are you complaining?"

Giraldi also stated, "I f--ked (you) across from the courtroom and I came all over her hand," in reference to dismissing CHS' prior criminal cases.

After the initial contact, Giraldi sent CHS a number of Short Message Service (SMS) texts using a cellular telephone and the TextFree application to set up a sexual encounter in exchange for the performance of an act pertaining to his position as Ottawa County ADA.

Giraldi stated that, "I wanna f---" and that they could meet up at the courthouse like we used to." Giraldi also stated that "I will help you."

On April 14, 2022, CHS texted Giraldi that "I'm to the point I'll f--- u every week for a god damn year straight if u just push Rhines' court date even two weeks long enough to come up with money for attorney bc she is trying."

Giraldi responded, "Oh my! Hopefully, you wouldn't get tired of f---ing me ... I'll make your day."

On April 14, 2022, CHS made a consensually recorded and monitored phone call with Giraldi where CHS asked Giraldi to use his position as an Ottawa County ADA to conduct a search for any outstanding warrants on CHS because of an upcoming conference regarding CHS' child custody case.

Giraldi agreed that he would ask his staff to run a search for any outstanding warrants. In exchange for running the search, CHS offered to "do anything" and to "please you sexually, just like last time."

Giraldi responded, "Oh, my! Are you sure?"

CHS stated, "Oh, my, yeah. You better bring a lot of condoms."

Giraldi responded, "I'm up for it if you are." Giraldi also stated, "If I were gonna narc on you, I would've "f--king done it already."

CHS stated that, "It is unethical and immoral of us to be doing this," to which Giraldi responded, "Yes."

In a second consensually recorded and monitored phone call on April 14, 2022, Giraldi stated that "it has to be a two-way street" in reference to their discussion of sexual acts in exchange for his performance of official acts as an Ottawa County ADA.

After the second call, Giraldi texted CHS that his "staff didn't find any warrant," on CHS. Giraldi stated that "I had my staff check because I had to be in court at 1. They said they didn't find a warrant."

CHS responded, Thank you so much. You know I'll make it worth it."

Giraldi replied, ":)" and "Oh, yeah????????"

CHS than asked Giraldi to bring prescription strength Xanax (alprazolam) which is a Schedule IVcontrolled substance to their sexual encounter.

In response to that request, Giraldi texted CHS, "Are you gonna f--k me?" and "will I make you p----- wet?"

CHS responded, "Yes, because you verified I didn't have a warrant lol.

Giraldi responded with a smiley face emoji.

CHS again asked Giraldi to provide (her) with Xanax and Giraldi responded, "Yes, dork. Maybe I'll want something extra in return."

Giraldi and CHS made plans to meet up the following day April 15, 2022, to consummate agreement of sexual relations in return for Grimaldi's performance of an act pertaining to his position as Ottawa County ADA.

On April 15, 2022, Giraldi texted CHS and told her he was suffering from a severe migraine and asked to reschedule their rendezvous. On April 15, 2022, FBI agents conducted surveillance at the Ottawa County Courthouse and observed (it) was closed due to Good Friday.

On April 17, 2022, Giraldi and CHS made plans to meet up on April 19, 2022, in Quapaw, Oklahoma, which is within the Quapaw Tribal Nation boundaries. CHS asked Grimaldi via SMS text, "U still gonna give me a few zanx?"

Giraldi replied, "Yes, you're beyond sexy."

CHS texted Giraldi, "Well, thank you, I try. But u know imma f--k you good for making sure I didn't have a warrant bc I saved me in my meeting by making sure I didn't. It's gonna be hot sex I'm so horny and ready."

Giraldi replied, "Oh, f--k. You might tear me apart. "

On the morning of April 19, 2022, Giraldi texted CHS to ask if they were still on and to coordinate where to meet. CHS texted Giraldi to meet at a house in Quapaw, Oklahoma.

At or about 12:06 p.m., Giraldi arrived at the residence. Giraldi entered the residence and pulled a bag of pills out of his shirt pocket and said to CHS, "Here's some goodies for you."

A subsequent criminalistics examination report performed by Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation's Northeast Regional Laboratory in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, on April 21, 2022, found that five and a half of the pills in the bag tested as Clonazepam, a Schedule IV drug, and one partial tablet tested as Oxycodone, a Schedule II drug.

On April 19, 2022, Giraldi stated he brought a box of condoms for the purpose of having sexual intercourse with CHS.

The bag in which the condoms were found contained a receipt for the condoms dated April 19, 2022, and showed they were purchased at Walmart.

At this point, the FBI entered the room, confronted Giraldi and read him his Miranda rights.

During the interview, Giraldi stated that he did come to the house with the intent to give the controlled substances to CHS. Giraldi further stated that he was going to give CHS the drugs in exchange for sexual intercourse.

Giraldi also admitted to having the warrant search conducted in exchange for sex.