EUGENE, Ore. — A federal grand jury in Eugene has indicted 37-year-old Ryan Bruce Gaither Jr. on charges of assaulting federal employees, including allegations of physical contact and causing bodily injury.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the charges stem from an incident on January 27, 2026, in which Gaither allegedly spit on a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Special Response Team officer and bit a second officer.
Gaither made his initial appearance in federal court on Tuesday before a U.S. magistrate judge. During the hearing, he was arraigned on the charges and entered a plea of not guilty. The court ordered his release pending trial, which is scheduled to begin on October 5, 2026.
If convicted, Gaither faces up to 20 years in federal prison, as well as five years of supervised release and a potential fine of up to $250,000.
The case was announced by Scott E. Bradford, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. The Federal Protective Service is leading the investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of a crime, and Gaither is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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