Two more former prison guards have been charged with sexually abusing female inmates at a federal prison in Dublin which became known as "the rape club," authorities announced Thursday.
Jeffrey Wilson and Lawrence Gacad are the ninth and tenth employees of the Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin, charged in a rampant sexual abuse scandal at the prison that resulted in at least seven convictions, dozens of lawsuits by former inmates, and ultimately the closure of the prison last year.
Wilson, 34, is charged with sexually abusing an inmate multiple times between March 14, 2022, and Aug. 16, 2022, according to a press statement from U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California Craig Missakian. Wilson is also charged with lying to federal agents, claiming he never had sexual contact with the inmate and that he never gave her contraband while she was incarcerated.
Gacad, 33, is charged with one count of sexual abuse of an inmate between March 1, 2022, and June 14, 2022. Among the other correctional officers convicted of sexually abusing inmates are former warden Ray Garcia, sentenced to 70 months in prison, and former chaplain James Highhouse, sentenced to 80 months in prison. Garcia was in charge of staff and inmate training on reporting abuse and complying with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act at the same time he was committing abuse, prosecutors said.
Seven of the 10 correctional officers charged were either convicted following trial or pleaded guilty to charges. An eighth prison guard, Darrell "Dirty Dick" Smith, has his trial scheduled for Sept. 2.
If convicted, Wilson faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the sexual abuse counts, and eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the false statements. Gacad faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the sexual abuse count. Any sentence would take into consideration federal sentencing guidelines.
The U.S. government agreed to pay nearly $116 million to resolve lawsuits brought by more than 100 women abused by prison guards at FCI Dublin. Subsequent lawsuits have yet to be resolved.
The Bureau of Prisons permanently shut down FCI Dublin in December 2024 after temporarily closing the prison in April 2024.
Earlier this year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was reportedly considering using the shuttered prison to house detainees. The reports prompted lawmakers to voice their opposition to any plans to transfer detainees there and led to protests outside the facility.
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