PRESS RELEASE

LOUMOLI INDICTED FOR ALLEGED ASSAULT OF DEPUTY U.S. MARSHALS; CHARGES INCLUDE DISCHARGING FIREARM

SALT LAKE CITY – A federal grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday afternoon charging Viliami Loumoli, age 20, of Salt Lake City with assaulting two Deputy United States Marshals and discharging a handgun in connection with the alleged assault.

An arraignment in federal court will be scheduled for Loumoli, who is in custody. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the assault charge and up to life in prison for the firearms charge, with a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence. The firearm sentence would stack or run consecutive to any sentence imposed for a conviction on the assault charge. Defendants charged in indictments are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in court.

The charges stem from an Aug. 11, 2007, incident in Salt Lake City. As a part of their official duties, the Marshals were engaged in a law enforcement activity during the early morning hours of Aug. 11 when they were shot at by individuals in a vehicle.

“Law enforcement officers, including deputy marshals, put their lives at risk on a daily basis protecting us and working to keep our communities safe,” U.S. Attorney Brett L. Tolman said today. “Assaults on police officers are something we are not going to tolerate. As the charges in today’s indictment demonstrate, there are some significant federal tools available for use in cases involving alleged assaults on federal officers. We will not hesitate to use them as a part of aggressive federal prosecutions.”

The case is being investigated by the FBI, the Salt Lake City Police Department, and the Metro Gang Unit. The investigation is ongoing.