Ex-Warden Jailed for Sex Abuse at Women’s Prison
A federal jury has found Ray J. Garcia, 55, guilty of multiple sexual abuse charges against three female inmates while he served as warden at a California women’s prison.
Warden’s Sickening Abuse Exposed
Garcia, from Merced, California, was first charged in September 2021 with sexual abuse of an inmate. That charge expanded in August 2022 when a grand jury added six more counts, including three felony sexual abuse charges and four counts of abusive sexual contact. The crimes took place between December 2019 and July 2021 at the Federal Correctional Institute in Dublin, an all-female low-security prison where Garcia was associate warden, then warden.
Details of Garcia’s Horrific Crimes
- Victim 1 was sexually abused and assaulted between December 2019 and March 2020 in prison visitation areas, including bathrooms and changing stalls.
- Victim 2 was abused between January and July 2021 inside a warehouse on prison grounds and in her cell, out of view of others.
- Victim 3 suffered sexual contact in the prison’s electrical shop between March and September 2020.
During a July 2021 interview by law enforcement, Garcia lied, denying ever asking inmates to undress or touching them inappropriately – claims disproven by trial evidence.
Sentencing Looms for Ex-Warden
Garcia now faces up to 15 years for each sexual abuse count, 2 years for each abusive contact count, and up to 8 years for making false statements. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will sentence him on March 8, 2023. Until then, Garcia remains free pending sentencing.
