Disturbing allegations are coming to light about a federal employee forcing his pregnant girlfriend to have an abortion she didn't want.
Justin Banta, 38, faces an attempted capital murder charge in Tarrant County, where officials say he spiked his girlfriend's drink with 'Plan C', abortion-inducing pills, late last year.
Officials say it happened on October 16, 2024, at a coffee shop in Benbrook when Banta met his six-week pregnant girlfriend to discuss the pregnancy. According to an arrest affidavit, the woman said she "intended on keeping the baby" even though Banta had "encouraged her, and offered to help her get an abortion."
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WATCH HEREThe affidavit says a sonogram the same day revealed the baby was healthy but that soon changed.
At the coffee shop hours later, the affidavit says Banta gave her a "drink he purchased prior to her arrival," which she finished.
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The next day, the affidavit says she "began to experience pains, fatigue and continuous heavy bleeding," and later miscarried at her Parker County home.
She filed a police report saying she "believed Banta placed the abortion medications in her consumables he provided.”
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During an interview at the Parker County Sheriff's Office, investigators say Banta admitted to buying ‘Plan C’ pills online using his cell phone and agreed to let his phone be searched. But when investigators tried accessing that phone to download its contents, they say they discovered the phone had been reset.
The Parker County Sheriff's Office says Banta works in the IT Department of the U.S. Department of Justice, and "accessed the phone remotely and performed a 'reset', thereby deleting crucial evidence related to the case."
“The fact that Mr. Banta worked in the Department of Justice as an IT Specialist is extremely relevant,” said Jorge Vela, a former federal and state prosecutor who’s now a criminal defense attorney. Vela is not connected to the Banta case but says it could be tough to prove.
“Did Mr. Banta actually put some kind of ‘Plan C’ in the alleged victim's drink. I think that's going to be a very difficult thing to prove without clear surveillance footage of that coffee shop where they met or some other type of incriminating declarations by Mr. Banta and based off the probable cause affidavit, it seems like those are lacking,” said Vela.
In a statement, Banta's attorney, Michael Heiskell, said, “The charges against Justin will result in a vigorous defense. He maintains his innocence as he did so when he fully cooperated and met with the investigating officers. This cooperation included him voluntarily consenting to his phone being seized by said investigators. I remind the public that these are only allegations and that Justin looks forward to clearing his good name in court. In that vein, we ask that his privacy and the due process our law provides him and the rest of us be honored and protected.”
After a months-long investigation, sheriff’s investigators obtained a felony arrest warrant for Banta, who was booked into the Parker County Jail Friday on a charge from the PCSO for tampering with physical evidence and a charge from the Texas Rangers for capital murder, which has been filed in Tarrant County.
Banta bonded out of jail the same day as his arrest.
