The former warden of a federal California prison nicknamed the “rape club” by inmates and employees was convicted Thursday of charges that he sexually abused those in his charge. Ray Garcia, 55, was found guilty of all eight charges against him, including three counts of having sexual contact with an incarcerated person, four counts of abusive sexual contact, and one count of lying to the FBI during their investigation into the case. He faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. Garcia retired abruptly from his post at the federal institute in Dublin, California as federal agents probing the allegations against him discovered nude photos of several incarcerated women on his government phone. Prosecutors argued at trial that he ordered inmates to strip naked for him, pose nude in their cells, and that he molested them, frequently attempting to keep them quiet with promises he’d secure them early release. “What a relief for these women,” attorney Jeff Bornstein, who represented several of the victims, told KTVU after the verdict. “How awful it was for them. This is a bittersweet ending. Because they never should have had to go through this.”
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