Score:   1
Docket Number:   SD-TX  4:17-cr-00736
Case Name:   USA v. Gaines
  Press Releases:
HOUSTON – A 31-year-old resident of Houston has pleaded guilty to kidnapping in connection with the death of a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Employee, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick. 

Don Gaines entered a plea of guilty today to kidnapping and killing the 28-year-old woman.

“Protecting the employees of the USPS is a top priority for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,” said Inspector in Charge Adrian Gonzalez. “When someone takes the life of one of our employees, we will stop at nothing to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. We extend our appreciation to all our local, state and federal partners that assisted in this investigation.”

That investigation identified Gaines, also a postal employee, as the person who abducted the victim as she left from the U.S. Postal Station - Houston distribution Center on Aline Bender Road, Sept. 11, 2017. The victim’s family reported her missing shortly thereafter. Gaines and the victim had previously been in a relationship and had two children together. 

Gaines admitted he choked the victim in her car near his residence in Houston. After he strangled her, Gaines believed the she was dead and transported her to Louisiana. However, during the trip, the victim regained consciousness, after which Gaines drove her to a secluded area off the highway. At that time, he parked the car and walked the victim into the woods where he shot her in the head with a firearm. He abandoned her body and drove back to Houston in her car the same day. 

Investigators identified location data on the victim’s car through a GPS device.

Evidence mirrored Gaines’ statements in that the victim’s car was located at his residence the same date he claimed to have choked her. It was also shown that the victim’s car traveled along Interstate 10 through Louisiana, then returned to Houston. A video further showed that Gaines purchased gas on the return drive to Houston after he disposed of the victim’s body.

Ultimately, the investigation led to the remote location in Louisiana where skeletal remains were discovered Oct. 12, 2017. Subsequent DNA analysis confirmed those remains were of the victim.

U.S. District Judge accepted the plea today and has set sentencing for Aug. 22, 2019. At that time, Gaines faces up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine. He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

USPIS conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson Davis Parish (Louisiana) Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, Calcasieu Parish (Louisiana) Coroner’s Office, Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services Laboratory at Louisiana State University and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Jocher and James McAlister are prosecuting the case.

HOUSTON - A 30-year-old Houston man is set to appear in federal court on charges of kidnapping of an employee with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. The victim was later found deceased.

 

A criminal complaint was filed under seal Nov. 20, 2017, charging Don Gaines, 30, with kidnapping. Federal authorities arrested him today, at which time the complaint was unsealed. He is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances Stacy at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.

 

The charges allege that Gaines did unlawfully seize, confine, kidnap, abduct and carry away the victim without her consent from Texas to Louisiana for the purpose of killing her or disposing of her body. The victim had been reported missing after she had not shown up for work for two days.

 

According to the criminal complaint, Gaines worked at the same location as the victim at the time of the alleged crime and was the father of her two children.

 

On or about Sept. 11, 2017, Gaines allegedly choked the victim in her car and he believed she was dead. However, while transporting her, the woman regained consciousness, according to the charges. Gaines allegedly continued to transport her against her will. The criminal complaint alleges that during the trip, Gaines stopped the car along the feeder road of Interstate 10, took the victim into the woods where he shot her in the head and abandoned her body. 

 

If convicted, Gaines could potentially face the death penalty.

 

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation along with the Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, and Harris County Sheriff’s Offices; Louisiana State University; Louisiana State Police and the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Jocher and Jim McAlister are prosecuting the case.

 

A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.

A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

Docket (0 Docs):   https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RxvOuy-A8fw47PZqdkOwHQpB44KY_8CV5osS1P2TcV0
  Last Updated: 2023-10-16 02:00:51 UTC
Description: The fiscal year of the data file obtained from the AOUSC
Format: YYYY

Description: The code of the federal judicial circuit where the case was located
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Description: The code of the federal judicial district where the case was located
Format: A2

Description: The code of the district office where the case was located
Format: A2

Description: Docket number assigned by the district to the case
Format: A7

Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a case which cannot be modified by the court
Format: A3

Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a case which can be modified by the court
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Description: A sequential number indicating whether a case is an original proceeding or a reopen
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Description: Case type associated with the current defendant record
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Description: Case type associated with a magistrate case if the current case was merged from a magistrate case
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Description: The status of the defendant as assigned by the AOUSC
Format: A2

Description: A code indicating the fugitive status of a defendant
Format: A1

Description: The date upon which a defendant became a fugitive
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which a fugitive defendant was taken into custody
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date when a case was first docketed in the district court
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which proceedings in a case commenced on charges pending in the district court where the defendant appeared, or the date of the defendant’s felony-waiver of indictment
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: A code used to identify the nature of the proceeding
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Description: The date when a defendant first appeared before a judicial officer in the district court where a charge was pending
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Format: A5

Description: The date of the last action taken on the record
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Description: The date upon which judicial proceedings before the court concluded
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which the final sentence is recorded on the docket
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which the case was closed
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Description: The date the record was loaded into the AOUSC’s NewSTATS database
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: Statistical year ID label on data file obtained from the AOUSC which represents termination year
Format: YYYY

Data imported from FJC Integrated Database
Magistrate Docket Number:   SD-TX  4:17-mj-01791
Case Name:   United States v. Gaines
Description: The fiscal year of the data file obtained from the AOUSC
Format: YYYY

Description: The code of the federal judicial circuit where the case was located
Format: A2

Description: The code of the federal judicial district where the case was located
Format: A2

Description: The code of the district office where the case was located
Format: A2

Description: Docket number assigned by the district to the case
Format: A7

Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a case which cannot be modified by the court
Format: A3

Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a case which can be modified by the court
Format: A3

Description: A sequential number indicating whether a case is an original proceeding or a reopen
Format: N5

Description: Case type associated with the current defendant record
Format: A2

Description: Case type associated with a magistrate case if the current case was merged from a magistrate case
Format: A2

Description: A concatenation of district, office, docket number, case type, defendant number, and reopen sequence number
Format: A18

Description: A concatenation of district, office, docket number, case type, and reopen sequence number
Format: A15

Description: The docket number originally given to a case assigned to a magistrate judge and subsequently merged into a criminal case
Format: A7

Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a magistrate case
Format: A3

Description: The status of the defendant as assigned by the AOUSC
Format: A2

Description: A code indicating the fugitive status of a defendant
Format: A1

Description: The date upon which a defendant became a fugitive
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which a fugitive defendant was taken into custody
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date when a case was first docketed in the district court
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which proceedings in a case commenced on charges pending in the district court where the defendant appeared, or the date of the defendant’s felony-waiver of indictment
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: A code used to identify the nature of the proceeding
Format: N2

Description: The date when a defendant first appeared before a judicial officer in the district court where a charge was pending
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: A code indicating the event by which a defendant appeared before a judicial officer in the district court where a charge was pending
Format: A2

Description: A code indicating the type of legal counsel assigned to a defendant
Format: N2

Description: The title and section of the U.S. Code applicable to the offense committed which carried the highest severity
Format: A20

Description: A code indicating the level of offense associated with FTITLE1
Format: N2

Description: The four digit AO offense code associated with FTITLE1
Format: A4

Description: The four digit D2 offense code associated with FTITLE1
Format: A4

Description: A code indicating the severity associated with FTITLE1
Format: A3

Description: The FIPS code used to indicate the county or parish where an offense was committed
Format: A5

Description: The date of the last action taken on the record
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which judicial proceedings before the court concluded
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which the final sentence is recorded on the docket
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which the case was closed
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The total fine imposed at sentencing for all offenses of which the defendant was convicted and a fine was imposed
Format: N8

Description: A count of defendants filed including inter-district transfers
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants filed excluding inter-district transfers
Format: N1

Description: A count of original proceedings commenced
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants filed whose proceedings commenced by reopen, remand, appeal, or retrial
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants terminated including interdistrict transfers
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants terminated excluding interdistrict transfers
Format: N1

Description: A count of original proceedings terminated
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants terminated whose proceedings commenced by reopen, remand, appeal, or retrial
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants pending as of the last day of the period including long term fugitives
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants pending as of the last day of the period excluding long term fugitives
Format: N1

Description: The source from which the data were loaded into the AOUSC’s NewSTATS database
Format: A10

Description: A sequential number indicating the iteration of the defendant record
Format: N2

Description: The date the record was loaded into the AOUSC’s NewSTATS database
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: Statistical year ID label on data file obtained from the AOUSC which represents termination year
Format: YYYY

Data imported from FJC Integrated Database
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