A Department of Justice (DOJ) employee was arrested in Texas on Friday for allegedly spiking his girlfriend’s drink with the abortion pill, according to local police.
Thirty-eight year old Justin Anthony Banta, who works at the DOJ’s Bureau of Prisons (BOP), faces charges for capital murder and tampering with physical evidence, the Parker County Sheriff’s Office announced in a press release Monday.
Banta’s girlfriend previously told him she wanted to keep the baby after he proposed buying the abortion pill online, according to police. He allegedly gave her the pill the same day as her six-week doctor’s appointment, where the doctor told her the baby was healthy.
“Later that same day, the victim reported she met Banta at a coffee shop in Tarrant County, where she expressed her suspicion that Banta had secretly added abortion-inducing pills to her drink without her knowledge or permission, while they were at a coffee shop,” the release states. “The next day, the victim stated she began to suffer from extreme fatigue and heavy bleeding, prompting her to visit the emergency room. The victim reported she lost her baby on Oct. 19, which she believed was a result of the drugs Banta had previously placed in her drink at the coffee shop without her permission.”
Banta is employed by the BOP as a network administration section chief at the Grand Prairie Office Complex in Grand Prairie, Texas, a BOP spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation, adding the department does not comment on specific personnel matters.
“Let me be clear: those who wear the Bureau of Prisons uniform are held to the highest standards,” BOP Director William K. Marshall, III said in a statement to the DCNF. “The men and women who show up every day, break their backs, and do the hard, honest work of corrections — they have my respect and are the backbone of the Bureau. But those who abuse their position, who treat inmates or their fellow employees with anything less than the dignity and integrity I would expect my kids to be treated with, the type this profession demands — they are not BOP employees in my eyes.”
Marshall said he would “use every authority, every tool, and every ounce of influence” he has to ensure those who engage in misconduct are held accountable.
Police investigators believe Banta deleted evidence by performing a remote reset of his phone after it was taken by the department, according to the press release.
Banta’s attorney, Michael P. Heiskell, told 11 Alive the charges “will result in a vigorous defense.”
“He maintains his innocence as he did so when he fully cooperated and met with the investigating officers,” Heiskell told the outlet. “This cooperation included him voluntarily consenting to his phone being seized by said investigators. I remind the public that these are only allegations and that Justin looks forward to clearing his good name in court. In that vein, we ask that his privacy and the due process our law provides him and the rest of us be honored and protected.”
The Parker County Sheriff’s Office and Heiskell did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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