DUBLIN, CA — Recent developments in a prominent scandal have seen federal prosecutors bring additional sexual abuse and misconduct charges against two former guards of the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Dublin. This case continues to unravel a grim chapter in the prison’s history, leading to over $100 million in settlements and the facility’s closure last year.
With the recent indictments of Jeffery Wilson, 34, and Lawrence Gacad, 33, the total number of former prison staff charged with sexual misconduct at this notorious women’s prison has now reached ten. Allegations suggest a deeply entrenched culture of abuse, where a so-called “rape club” exploited inmates while guards faced repercussions for reporting the crimes.
The conditions within the prison deteriorated to such an extent that in 2024, federal prison authorities decided to close FCI Dublin shortly after a federal judge appointed a special master to supervise its operations. The judicial intervention came after alarming complaints from inmates about sexual assaults and systemic retaliation for reporting such incidents.
Wilson has been charged with five counts of sexual abuse involving an inmate in the prison’s medical room from March to August 2022. Prosecutors assert he falsified information regarding both the abuse and the provision of contraband to the inmate. Gacad, on the other hand, faces a single charge of abusive sexual contact related to incidents that allegedly occurred between March and June 2022.
The scandal has already resulted in significant legal repercussions for other staff members. To date, seven former prison officials, ranging from the facility’s warden to guards, have been convicted or pleaded guilty to various charges linked to the abuse of inmates. Notably, Ray J. Garcia, the former warden, received a nearly six-year prison sentence in early 2023, alongside James Highhouse, the former chaplain, who was sentenced to seven years.
In a related case, Darrell Smith, another prison guard, is set to go to trial in September following an earlier trial that ended in a mistrial.
The decision to permanently close FCI Dublin was officially announced by federal officials in December 2024, amidst a wave of lawsuits alleging long-term sexual abuse and subsequent retaliation from guards. One of the lawsuits was granted class-action status, highlighting the prison management’s negligence in addressing decades of warning signs and inadequate care for the inmates’ mental and physical health.
The subsequent consent decree mandated federal oversight of the nearly 500 inmates previously housed at FCI Dublin, ensuring that they do not face solitary confinement as retaliation for speaking out.
As part of this unfolding situation, more than 100 inmates have received upwards of $100 million in settlements from the federal government due to the abuses they experienced at the facility.
However, as the facility lies dormant, advocates for inmates and migrants have expressed safety concerns regarding the potential repurposing of FCI Dublin into a detention center under President Donald Trump’s stricter immigration policies.
Further updates on this ongoing saga will follow as the legal proceedings continue.
Originally published: June 26, 2025 at 11:21 AM PDT
