Inmate Found Guilty of Holding Guard Hostage
A prisoner charged with holding a corrections officer hostage in his Metropolitan Correctional Center cell for 14 hours was found guilty Wednesday of kidnaping and hostage taking.
After deliberating about four hours, the U.S. District Court jury also convicted Jose Rodriguez Rodriguez, 33, of attempting to escape from the downtown federal prison.
He was acquitted, however, of conspiring with his cellmate to kidnap and hold guard Donnie Houston, 30, in the Dec. 18 and 19 incident. He was also found not guilty in the attempted kidnaping of another guard, Robert Gibson.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Maria Arroyo-Tabin said Rodriguez, a Cuban national who is also known by the name Ramon Alvarez, could face two life sentences plus 10 years in federal prison and an “astronomical” fine.
Judge William Enright set sentencing for Dec. 9. Rodriguez is awaiting sentencing on a drug case in which he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilos of cocaine, Arroyo-Tabin said.
Rodriguez’s cellmate, Emilio Bravo, 32, who is also a Cuban national and is known by the name of Ernesto Cruz, will go on trial Jan. 28.
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