Former assistant DA faces criminal charge
Alleged to seek sex favors in racketeering case
Tulsa attorney worked in the district attorney offices for District 13
TULSA – A former assistant district attorney agreed to accept sexual favors from a defendant in exchange for help with a child custody case, according to a federal criminal complaint filed Monday in Tulsa federal court.
A U.S. magistrate judge approved an arrest warrant Monday for Daniel Thomas Giraldi, 44, of Joplin, Missouri, an attorney who worked in the district attorney offices for District 13. The district includes Ottawa and Delaware counties.
The warrant was based on a probable cause affidavit submitted by the FBI in support of Giraldi’s arrest.
The affidavit alleges Giraldi violated laws pertaining to bribery of a public official, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, possessing a controlled drug and using a cellular phone in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Giraldi worked in the district attorney’s office from 2019 until Wednesday, April 20, according to the affidavit.
Prior to becoming an assistant district attorney, Giraldi worked in a private practice law firm, according to the affidavit.
It was while Giraldi worked as a defense attorney in the private law firm that he began accepting sexual favors from women in exchange for helping others facing criminal charges and as payment for services rendered, according to the affidavit.
The current allegations stem from an April 12 encounter between Giraldi and a confidential FBI source outside the Ottawa County Courthouse, according to the affidavit.
In the interaction, recorded by the FBI, the confidential source asked Giraldi to look into her child custody case and the case of another person. During the exchange, Giraldi allegedly asked the confidential source about past sexual encounters between the pair, records show.
Later, Giraldi allegedly sent the woman text messages to set up a sexual encounter “in exchange for the performance of an act pertaining to his position as an Ottawa County ADA (assistant district attorney),” according to the complaint.
The source and Giraldi met just after noon Tuesday, April 19, at a home in Quapaw, during which Giraldi allegedly said, “Here’s some goodies for you” while pulling a bag of pills from a shirt pocket that later tested positive for Clonazepam and Oxycodone, according to the affidavit. It was at this time that FBI agents entered the room and confronted Giraldi, who, according to the affidavit, agreed to talk to investigators after being read his rights.
During the interview with the FBI, Giraldi admitted to checking to see if the woman had any arrest warrants in an anticipated exchange for sexual favors, authorities said. Giraldi also allegedly admitted to giving the source the controlled drugs in exchange for sexual favors, records show. Giraldi made an initial appearance in front of a judge Monday afternoon, according to court records. He was released on an unsecured $10,000 appearance bond, records show.
Kenny Wright, District 13 district attorney, said he learned about the FBI investigation April 19 from U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. Wright said that he fired Giraldi on April 20, after the assistant district attorney did not come in to work. Wright said Giraldi had no prior disciplinary actions while working in his office.
“I and my office stand ready to continue to assist in the investigation in any way,” Wright said in a prepared statement. “I requested the Oklahoma Attorney General to oversee the statelevel investigation and potential prosecution of Giraldi.”