TULSA, Okla. – A former Ottawa County prosecutor admitted to federal investigators he used his position in exchange for sex and gave certain defendants special treatment.
Daniel Thomas Giraldi was charged Monday in U.S. Federal Court in Tulsa with bribery of a public official, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and use of communication facility in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Giraldi worked for the Ottawa County District Attorney’s office from Feb. 2019 until April 20 as an assistant district attorney.
District Attorney Kenny Wright said Giraldi appeared Monday in court.
The federal criminal complaint is now unsealed, he said.
On Tuesday, United States Attorney Clint Johnson contacted Wright and the two discussed the investigation leading up to the federal complaint.
“Giraldi was out of the office at the time,” Wright said. “I terminated Giraldi’s employment the following morning and have not seen nor spoken to him since.”
“My office stands ready to continue to assist in the investigation in any way,” Wright said.
Wright said he requested the Oklahoma Attorney General to oversee the State level investigation and potential prosecution of Giraldi.
“Although all defendants are innocent until proven guilty, I have the utmost faith in both the United States Attorney and the Oklahoma Attorney General to ensure justice is served,” Wright said.
Giraldi is accused of receiving “sexual favors in exchange for special treatment of certain defendants and their cases,” according to a criminal complaint. Additionally, Giraldi is accused of coercing women to travel in exchange for money and controlled substances, the complaint states.
While in private practice as a criminal defense lawyer, Giraldi represented Bryan Young “and was known to accept sexual favors from women in return for helping Young’s associates and as payment for services rendered,” the complaint states.
When Giraldi was hired as an assistant prosecutor in 2019, “Young used his prior connection with Giraldi to obtain favors for his associates.”
On April 12, an informant asked Giraldi to look into her and a friend’s child custody cases. The informant and Giraldi discussed previous “sexual encounters” and referenced “past favors he (Giraldi) performed in exchange for sexual encounters,” the complaint states.
Giraldi had dismissed the informant’s prior criminal cases.
A sexual encounter was set up at the courthouse between Giraldi and the informant, the complaint states.
On April 14, the informant called Giraldi and asked that he use his position as a prosecutor to conduct a search for any outstanding warrants. In exchange for running the search, the informant agreed to a sexual encounter.
The informant said to Giraldi “it is unethical and immoral for us to be doing this,” to which Giraldi responded, ” Yes.”
Giraldi texted the informant saying his staff “didn’t find any warrant,” The informant then asked Giraldi to bring prescription-strength Xanax to their sexual encounter, the complaint states.
The informant contacted Giraldi the next day saying she was suffering from a severe migraine and the sexual encounter was rescheduled for April 19 at a Quapaw residence. Giraldi brought Clonazepam and Oxycodone in exchange for sex to the sexual encounter, the complaint states.
