Utah man sentenced for damaging ICE vehicle while wearing only underwear and a mask
Jan 15, 2026, 6:16 PM | Updated: 6:22 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — A Santa Clara man accused of ripping pieces from an ICE transit van while being half-naked was sentenced on Jan. 7.
Ryan Michael Gaines, 32, of Santa Clara, was sentenced in federal court to 36 months of probation and to pay $2,883.20 in restitution for damaging an ICE Transit Van in April 2025, according to the United States Attorney’s Office press release.
According to court documents, Gaines was captured on surveillance video on April 18, damaging the ICE vehicle at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations Office in St. George.
“Both driver and passenger mirrors had been damaged, and the driver’s side of the van had been scratched with an unknown sharp object,” police said in an affidavit.
Investigators reported that Gaines was “wearing only underwear, a mask, and goggles” when he damaged the ICE vehicle.
Ryan Gaines damaging the ICE van’s passenger side window on April 20, 2025. (The St. George Police Department)
Police used “county-wide surveillance systems” to find the light-colored Jeep that Gaines drove to and from the ICE office, and discovered that the vehicle was registered to Gaines, according to the affidavit.
In body camera footage obtained by KSL, St. George police officers arrive at Gaines’ home, but a family member told them he was at work and provided his number.
An officer called Gaines to arrange an in-person meeting with him and the police to discuss what happened. During the meeting, Gaines was detained and later arrested for property damage valued at less than $5,000, a second-degree felony.
St. George police officers arresting Ryan Gaines after arranging a meet-up on April 21, 2025. (The St. George Police Department)
“Officers found Gaines’ Jeep at his residence and were able to match it with the Jeep seen in the surveillance footage,” according to the attorney’s office. “Also at Gaines’ residence, officers located a pair of ski goggles and a balaclava that matched the ones worn by the individual that committed the damage to the ICE Transit Van.”
According to court records, Gaines was charged in Utah’s 5th Judicial District, but the charges were dropped, and he was federally charged for damaging government property, a federal felony. In October, Gaines admitted to damaging the ICE van.
St. George police officers finding the ski mask and goggles that Ryan Gaines used. (The St. George Police Department)
In a pre-sentencing report, U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah said that while Gaines is avoiding prison, “receiving a federal felony and being required to work through his issues for three years under the guidance of federal Probation will, perhaps, serve to pull back some on the mental tug-of-war he perpetrated on the ICE agents.”
“The defendant’s actions were intentional and calculated,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI in a press release. “No officer or public servant should have to fear for their safety simply for doing their job. Intimidation and violence aimed at those who serve our communities will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted.”
Related story: Deaf Utah man files federal civil rights lawsuit after encounter with ICE agents outside SLCC
