In a serious breach of trust and legal duty, a correctional officer at California State Prison-Corcoran has been indicted on charges of conspiring with an inmate to assault another inmate. Raquel Mosqueda, a 36-year-old officer from Porterville, and Jimmie L. Carter, a 44-year-old inmate, have been accused of plotting a violent encounter that infringed on the constitutional rights of the victim, as the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California announced.
Deepening the levels of misconduct, the court documents reveal that Mosqueda, while on duty, allegedly made an agreement with Carter on or around April 20, 2022, described by officials as a plan to "get rid of" the victim. Given entry to the victim's cell by Mosqueda, Carter and other inmates were then able to execute the attack which resulted in bodily harm, according to the United States Attorney's Office.
Further complicating her legal troubles, Mosqueda is also charged with a separate count of depriving the inmate victim of the constitutional right to be reasonably protected from violent threats from fellow inmates—a protection understood under the Eighth Amendment's safeguard against cruel and unusual punishment. The indictment comes after thorough investigations led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Office of Internal Affairs. If Mosqueda and Carter are convicted, they both could face severe consequences including a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines for the conspiracy allegation, with Mosqueda confronting an additional identical sentence for the rights deprivation charge, as reported by the United States Attorney's Office.
Assigned to the case, Assistant United States Attorney Karen A. Escobar and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein will be prosecuting under the mantle of justice in a court of law that, after considering various factors and guidelines, holds the discretion to determine any sentence, as per the United States Attorney's Office. The allegations brought against Mosqueda and Carter carry the severity of the justice system's full weight, yet it is crucial to remember, as put by the Justice Department, that "the charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."
