A former regional disciplinary officer stationed at FCI Mendota has been charged with five felony counts tied to the alleged sexual abuse of two women incarcerated at the East Bay prison, making him the 11th former federal prison official charged in the scandal, which has involved the most officers of any federal prison. David Perez allegedly isolated the two women, identified in court filings as R.M. and S.M., in the prison's Captain's Complex and subjected them to abuse between August 2015 and December 2017, according to court filings.
Prosecutors allege Perez digitally penetrated R.M.'s genitals on one occasion and touched both women's breasts and buttocks, according to court filings cited by NBC Bay Area. He faces three counts of abusive sexual contact, one count of sexual abuse of a ward, and one count of lying to federal investigators. If convicted on all counts, Perez could face up to 29 years in prison and more than $1.2 million in fines, per the outlet's report. As of publication, Perez had not been arrested, had not entered a plea, and had not filed a response to the charges.
The false statements count stems from Perez's alleged conduct in 2024, the same year FCI Dublin shut its doors. Federal prosecutors allege in the September indictment that Perez lied to federal investigators that year when he claimed he never touched incarcerated women beyond escorting them to and from disciplinary hearings, according to KTVU FOX 2. Before the indictment, Perez's LinkedIn profile stated he retired from the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 2019 after serving as a disciplinary hearing officer, correctional lieutenant, criminology instructor, and diversity instructor, the station reports.
A Punishment Cell and a Pattern of Fear
Court filings allege Perez singled out R.M. while she was housed in the Special Housing Unit, a punishment cell, in 2016. R.M. also filed a related civil lawsuit in federal court on March 11, alleging that Perez routinely subjected her to sexual abuse and harassment. In that filing, she said she felt frozen, terrified, and powerless to resist because of Perez's authority over her.
The lawsuit alleges Perez groped R.M.'s breasts and buttocks without her consent on at least four separate occasions. She said she did not report the abuse at the time because she feared retaliation, including a possible extension of her sentence. The lawsuit describes FCI Dublin as having an institutional culture of intimidation and coercion, and as a facility known for tolerating sexual misconduct.
Civil lawsuits against individual officers have continued to expand on the patterns of coercion alleged by criminal prosecutors.
The Broader Prosecution Record
Perez's case is the latest in a string of prosecutions stretching back years. Nine of the 11 former FCI Dublin staffers charged with federal sex crimes have been convicted, including former warden Ray Garcia, who was convicted in 2022 and sentenced to nearly six years in prison. Federal prosecutors declined in November 2025 to retry former officer Darrell Smith after two juries deadlocked, according to KTVU, leaving him the only charged officer to avoid conviction.
In May, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers sentenced former FCI Dublin paramedic Jeffrey Wilson to 52 months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual abuse of a ward and lying to federal agents, according to the Department of Justice. Wilson admitted to encouraging an inmate to move to the prison camp, where there was less staff supervision, and supplying the inmate with contraband. Hoodline previously reported on Wilson's sentencing.
Legal Standard Leaves No Room for Consent
Under the legal standard discussed by Levy Konigsberg, consensual sexual acts cannot exist between an inmate and a supervisor, and the firm discusses civil relief in such cases.
The scandal has already produced massive financial consequences for the federal government. In December 2024, the government agreed to pay $116 million to 103 former inmates to settle civil claims over systemic sexual abuse at FCI Dublin, marking the largest misconduct payout in Federal Bureau of Prisons history, according to the Los Angeles Times. Plaintiffs received an average of $1.1 million each under the settlement.
How the Prison's Closure Unfolded
The abuse allegations led to judicial intervention. In April 2024, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers appointed Special Master Wendy Still to oversee operations at FCI Dublin, and the prison closed that month, according to KQED. The bureau cited an inability to reform the facility's culture when announcing the closure.
After the closure, judicial orders delayed the transfer of inmates to other facilities. Some inmates transferred to other facilities reported experiencing retaliation and disrupted medical care during the rushed transfer process, per the same report.
The now-vacant Dublin property remains closed. Perez's indictment stands as the latest reminder that, more than two years after the prison's closure, criminal accountability for what happened inside its walls is still unfolding.
