A California prison dubbed 'The Rape Club' has been raided by the FBI after multiple inmates were allegedly forced to pose naked and have sex on video
The operation, which saw FBI agents haul boxes of evidence from the Dublin facility Monday, follows an investigation that put an ex-warden and others behind bars.
They were found guilty of sexually abusing inmates at FCI Dublin, a low-security federal prison for women only.
The raid comes as several women have come forward in suits against guards and staff, a number that has now reached at least 63. However, that figure is now expected to surpass 100, attorneys said Tuesday - as ex-inmates continue to claim they were forced by staff to pose naked and have sex on video.
FBI spokesperson Cameron Polan confirmed that agents were there conducting 'court-authorized law enforcement activity,' as more than a dozen FBI agents were seen seizing computers, documents, and other evidence by an anonymous source who spoke to the Associated Press.
The insider added how the federal agents also attempted to interview employees, but like Polan, did not provide any other details.
A Bureau of Prisons spokesperson further confirmed that Deputy Regional Director N.T. McKinney will now serve as the prison's interim warden, following the ouster of former overseer Art Dulgov.
He was removed as warden Monday, after holding the position for just three months.
His predecessor, Ray Garcia, and the facility’s chaplain were indicted on sexual assault charges against inmates in 2021, before being found guilty this past year.
He is currently serving a 70-month prison term, as his replacement now faces allegations that his staff retaliated against an inmate who testified against the prison in January as part of the case.
McKinney will replace Dulgov on an interim basis effective immediately, prison brass said - revealing that an associate warden and prison captain working under Dulgov were also removed from their positions.
Also pulled was an executive assistant who oversaw the prison's minimum-security satellite camp, government lawyers said, after Monday's search came to a close.
Monday's search, moreover, marks a new twist in the saga - coming days after a new wave of civil lawsuits alleged more incidents of abuse and retaliation.
It also comes as a federal judge is said to be considering appointing a special master to oversee the prison's operations, as the claims continue to pile up.
As mentioned, Dulgov and staff are accused of retaliating against one specific inmate who testified in January, after alleging that instances of 'horrific abuse and exploitation' were occurring at the NorCal prison,
Some of the assaults were even caught on camera, inmates said - claiming in the class action that staffers forced them to pose naked and have sex whilst being filmed.
The inmate in question has since been transferred to a different facility, filings in the case show - a decision that comes despite a judge's order not to transfer any witnesses without court approval.
Meanwhile, a total of at least eight FCI Dublin staffers have been charged with sexually abusing inmates, with seven found guilty.
Five pleaded guilty for a deal to get less prison time, while two - including Garcia - were convicted at trial. Another case, as of writing, is still pending, as Dulgov remains uncharged.
He was put in charge of the prison late last year after ex-warden Thahesha Jusino's retirement.