Carson outreach coordinator jailed on extortion charge

Carson City's Citizen Outreach Coordinator was jailed Wednesday on extortion charges for allegedly stalking a 19-year-old woman he loaned money to when she was 17.

Javier Ramirez, 38, was booked into the Carson City Jail on suspicion of felony extortion to collect a debt, robbery, destruction of property and misdemeanor possession of stolen property.

According to Sheriff's Detective Craig Lowe, the victim told police that two years ago Ramirez lent her $3,000 so she could pay off some debt.

After she allegedly repaid $1,000 of the loan, Lowe said, Ramirez became increasingly upset that she still owed him, and he would stalk her at work and call her constantly.

At one point, about four months after the loan, Ramirez confronted her in the parking lot of Mervyn's and demanded his money, said Lowe.

"(Ramirez) grabbed the victim's purse as she was carrying it on her shoulder and pulled it off her arm," the arrest report states. "The victim told me she attempted to hold onto her purse, but (Ramirez) was able to overpower her and pull it away from her."

Lowe said the victim reported that Ramirez told her it was pointless for her to call the police.

"Because Javier repeatedly told her, 'I meet with the sheriff every week, it will do you no good,'" said Lowe.

Lowe said the victim reported that on another occasion, the victim went to Ramirez's office to try to get her driver's license and Social Security card back that was in her purse and "Ramirez invited her into his office, shut the door and forced himself onto her by grabbing her by her head and forcefully kissing her mouth."

"(Ramirez) told her he had her purse and Social Security card and that if she wanted it she would have to come to his house and get it."

The victim said Ramirez repeatedly refused to return her items unless she paid him the money she owed; at one point he slashed all four tires on her vehicle, and he often demanded sex in exchange for payment, Lowe said.

On Wednesday, detectives had the victim call Ramirez on the phone and set up an appointment to meet so she could give him $1,000 in exchange for her Social Security card, the arrest report states.

Ramirez allegedly agreed to meet at 2 p.m. in the parking lot of Bank of America, said Lowe.

With the victim wearing a wire, and officers recording the incident, she entered Ramirez's car and exchanged the Sheriff's Department's cash for the Social Security card, said Lowe.

After the victim left the vehicle officers stopped Ramirez's car as he drove from the parking lot and placed him under arrest.

"I loan her money and I go to jail," Lowe quoted Ramirez as saying.

He was jailed and bail was set at $47,500.

Ramirez's City Outreach Coordinator position was created in 2006 was to "make inroads into the Latino and Hispanic communities," the minutes of a Board of Supervisor's meeting from 2006 quotes Mayor Marv Teixeira saying.

Ramirez also is active in the Carson City Community Coalition, and he hosts, "Quienes Somos-Who We Are," a weekly television program on Access Carson City intended to "help promote community among the many diverse peoples of Carson City," according to acctv.org.

"At this point in time, Ramirez has been arrested and this is an open investigation," said Sheriff Kenny Furlong. "Once the case is completed, it will be forwarded to the District Attorney's Office."

Among the items being investigated is where Ramirez would have gotten the $3,000 he allegedly loaned the victim. Ramirez administers the Community Development Block Grant program " a federal Housing and Urban Development grant program that provides money for development projects to promote decent housing and economic opportunities for low and moderate-income people.

Furlong said the allegations that Ramirez felt protected from prosecution because of his standing in the community is preposterous.

"I wouldn't protect anyone. We handle all the cases we get equally and fairly," he said. "I'm very proud of the detectives for acting quickly on the information. This is the way business ought to be conducted -- quickly and efficiently."

- Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.