Boise country club manager, accused of sexually assaulting employee, gets no jail time
Editor’s note: The following article includes a graphic detail of an alleged sexual assault.
In July, the general manager of Boise’s Hillcrest Country Club was charged with two felonies after prosecutors alleged he intended to rape an employee. Now, after the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office received new evidence, Max Moreno was sentenced to no additional jail time.
Moreno, who had been the country club’s general manager for about four years, was initially charged with two felonies: forcible penetration by use of a foreign object and battery with intent to commit a serious felony, according to online court records.
As part of a plea agreement with the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office Moreno pleaded guilty through an Alford plea of a misdemeanor battery by “intentionally” and “unlawfully” putting his hands under the woman’s skirt. An Alford plea carries the weight of a guilty plea but means Moreno did not admit to committing the crime.
The forcible penetration charge — which could have resulted in a life sentence — was dismissed, online court records showed.
“It’s sickening that after this, your life could go back to normal, yet my life will never be the same,” the woman said during an Oct. 6 sentencing. The woman also called the misdemeanor charge “pathetic.” Court records kept her anonymous.
The Hillcrest Country Club did not return the Statesman’s request for comment regarding Moreno’s employment status, though Moreno’s LinkedIn showed that he left the club in August — a month after the battery occurred.
Court records detail allegations
The initial charging document against Moreno, which was reviewed by the Statesman alleged that he grabbed the woman’s breasts, forced his hand down her skirt, kissed her, grabbed her arm and sucked on her neck with the intent to rape her.
The additional charge — which was dismissed — also alleged that Moreno inserted his finger or fingers inside the woman against her will, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office.
The amended criminal complaint — which he pleaded guilty to — stated that Moreno “intentionally” and “unlawfully” put his hands under the woman’s skirt.
Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Rebecca Marie Sharon said during the October sentencing that Moreno’s actions were “abhorrent” and “inexcusable,” but that Sharon didn’t believe she could find Moreno guilty beyond a reasonable doubt after an additional audio recording of the incident was obtained late into the investigation. Sharon didn’t elaborate on what the recordings contained.
Sharon said the roughly 15-minute audio recording of the incident “provided more context of the encounter.” The recording was submitted by the woman to the police but wasn’t given to the prosecutor’s office immediately.
Moreno was placed on unsupervised probation until October 2024 and was given a jail sentence of 180 days, though 178 of the days were suspended; he was also given credit for two days he previously spent in jail, according to a plea agreement reviewed by the Statesman.
This means Moreno faced no additional jail time.
The battery occurred on July 9, and the Boise Police Department was notified of the incident on the same day, spokesperson Haley Williams previously told the Idaho Statesman by email. Moreno wasn’t arrested until almost two weeks later on July 21.
“I spent so much time balling my eyes out in the bathroom just because it was so difficult to be around you,“ the woman said during the hearing. She added that “things got a bit better” once Moreno was arrested.
Moreno’s Boise-based attorney Debra Groberg asked Ada County Magistrate Judge Ellis Dean to grant Moreno a withheld judgment and said the incident has “been a complete nightmare” for Moreno. A withheld judgment means a defendant’s guilty plea will not be recorded as a conviction so long as they complete the terms of their sentencing.
But Dean denied that request and said he was “concerned” with what he heard in court.
Need help?
The Faces of Hope Victim Center is available for victims in need of emergency services at 417 S. 6th St. in Boise. Victims should call 911 in emergencies or call 208-577-4400 on weekdays during business hours.
Faces of Hope provides free medical care and forensic examinations for victims, as well as assistance with filing police reports and mental health care. Survivors who may need help are also encouraged to contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
This story was originally published October 18, 2022 at 11:48 AM.
