By Manuel Gamiz Jr
The Morning Call
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A man already convicted of killing a man outside a west Bethlehem strip club gave up his right to a preliminary hearing on charges he assaulted Lehigh County Jail guards.
Ulysses “Slime” Rodriguez, 23, waived three charges of aggravated assault before District Judge Robert Halal. His attorney said there have been talks with prosecutors about a possible plea agreement.
During his trial in the shooting death of Tyree Wimberly, jail officials described Rodriguez as a consistent problem for prison guards and staff and has been written up at least 16 times for misconduct in his two years at the jail. He was previously charged with grabbing a nurse’s breast.
Rodriguez was handcuffed as he was being taken to the medical unit of the jail Dec. 30 by corrections officer Christopher Fitzgerald. When they passed officer Letcher Potter, Rodriguez broke free from Fitzgerald and started choking Potter, records show.
Rodriguez freed his hand from the handcuffs and punched Potter, the court records say. Potter and Fitzgerald subdued Rodriguez, but he continued to flail his arms and legs. He kicked Potter in the stomach and Fitzgerald in the leg, records show. Other officers arrived to get Rodriguez under control.
Rodriguez was sentenced Jan. 15 to 10 to 20 years in state prison for killing Wimberly, 21, outside Scoobies Gentlemen’s Club on Jan. 26, 2013. Rodriguez said he killed Wimberly in self-defense, but a jury rejected his claims when they found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter in August.
In January, Rodriguez was also sentenced to 45 to 90 days for harassing a prison nurse in March. Authorities said Rodriguez touched the nurse’s breast while she was taking his blood pressure.
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