Judge sentences Dublin prison food supervisor in ongoing sex abuse scandal
DUBLIN, Calif. - A judge sentenced a former correctional officer at the federal prison in Dublin to eight years on Wednesday, in an ongoing sex abuse scandal that has plagued FCI Dublin for at least three decades.
It is the longest sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzlez-Rogers so far. During her sentencing, she wondered if that prison sentence was even long enough for what Andrew Jones, 36, a food supervisor at the prison, had done.
"Jones participated in a culture of sexual abuse of female inmates at FCI Dublin that included the warden, the chaplain, and other employees, and he, like them, has now been held to account for his heinous acts," Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz said in a statement. "The DOJ Office of the Inspector General will continue to aggressively investigate this type of egregious criminal conduct, and we will do everything within our authority to pursue justice for victims of sexual abuse."
Jones, who used to live in Pleasanton and now lives in Clovis, had already pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual abuse of a ward involving three women in August. He also pleaded guilty to one count o of lying to federal investigators.
He admitted to receiving oral sex and having sexual intercourse near the kitchen, bathroom, warehouse, and a room where kitchen utensils were kept. The encounters took place in 2020 and 2021.
Prosecutors also argued that Jones "enforced silence and obedience" from the women by using "violence and threats of violence." Women reported he was rude and unprofessional to them, regularly calling them "bitches" and "crackheads."
He saved his "worst of his ire" for Spanish-speaking women, prosecutors said.
One woman told investigators that he said to her: "You fucking Mexican. You piece of shit."
He threatened to beat one woman's ass, prosecutors said, and once, punched her in the chest.
Women also said that Jones often talked about his penis, often referring to it as a "life changer," prosecutors said.
During the sentencing hearing, Jones remained silent, according to Kara Janssen, a lawyer who represents one of Jones' victims.
Jones is the eighth correctional officer charged with sex crimes at FCI Dublin, the most of any prison in the United States. Seven, so far, have been found guilty.
The highest profile case was against former Warden Ray Garcia, who was found guilty and trial. He was sentenced to nearly six years in prison himself.
The same prison was sued in the 1990s by women who alleged the same type of sexual assault. No criminal charges were ever filed back then, but the women were each awarded $500,000.