Conviction of ex-DPS range master vacated

Superior Court Presiding Judge Robert C. Naraja has vacated the conviction of former Department of Public Safety’s shooting range master Ambrosio T. Ogumoro.

Naraja also ordered the conviction record of Ogumoro be expunged “in the best interests of justice and the public.”

“Further, it is hereby ordered that Ogumoro may not be deemed to have been convicted for any purpose in the case,” said the judge in the order.

Naraja issued the order following the former range master’s motion. The Attorney General’s Office did not object to the motion.

In the motion, Edward Arriola Sr., lawyer for Ogumoro, asserted that the defendant has successfully and fully complied with all the orders and conditions of the court pursuant to the sentencing order issued in September 2006.

In September 2006, the former range master was convicted after he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of ammunition.

The Attorney General’s Office accused Ogumoro of beating his wife and for illegal possession of a gun and ammunitions. He was charged with assault and battery, unlawful possession of a firearm, and two counts of unlawful possession of ammunition.

Ogumoro signed a plea agreement and in September 2006 pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of ammunition. The remaining charges were dismissed.

Following the agreement, Naraja sentenced Ogumoro to one year in prison, all suspended.

Naraja placed the former range master on two years of supervised probation and ordered him to pay a $1,000 fine and $225 in court and probation fees.

Among the conditions during the probationary period was for Ogumoro to perform 150 hours of community service and attend anger management counseling.

The agreement stated that the government will ask the court to erase Ogumoro’s criminal record if he will fully comply with the terms and conditions of the sentence after the end of the probationary period.

In the motion to expunge the record and vacate the conviction, Arriola noted that the agreement stated that should the defendant decide to file such motion at the end of his probation, the government will support such motion so long as he complies with the terms and conditions in the agreement.

On Feb. 10, 2006, members of the DPS’ elite Tactical Response Enforcement Team, with the help of some Criminal Investigation Bureau detectives, arrested Ogumoro at DPS on allegations that he beat up his wife and for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunitions.

Police stated in court papers that Ogumoro was also allegedly possibly involved in gun smuggling and that he threatened to kill Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and blow up DPS. He had denied the allegations.

At the time of his arrest, Ogumoro was the weapons specialist for DPS. He was then assigned as official armorer of the Armory Unit and the Firearms and Criminal Records Section. He is a retiree from the U.S. Marine Corps.