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A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 12 February 2022
Worker pleads guilty to abusing inmates at U.S. women’s prison

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and tors said, Klinger kept con-
MICHAEL BALSAMO tacting one of the victims
Associated Press through an email address
A former employee at a he created with a phony
federal women’s prison in name, sometimes sending
California pleaded guilty lewd messages referencing
Thursday to charges he sexual acts. He messaged
sexually abused at least the other woman on Snap-
two inmates, the first con- chat, saying he loved her
viction in a wave of arrests and was “willing to do any-
at a lockup known to pris- thing” for her.
oners and workers as “the Interviewed by investiga-
rape club.” tors in April 2021, Klinger
Ross Klinger, 36, is one of denied any wrongdoing,
four employees, including but said that because of
the warden and chaplain, the allegations his life was
who’ve been arrested in in over and that he was con-
the past seven months for cerned about going to
sexually abusing inmates prison and being labeled
at the federal correctional as a sex offender. He was
institution in Dublin, Califor- The Federal Correctional Institution is shown in Dublin, Calif., July 20, 2006. arrested two months later.
nia. Several other Dublin Associated Press “Sexual misconduct of a
workers remain under in- ward, you can’t come
vestigation. A court official said it was misconduct by predatory other inmate acted as a back from that,” Klinger
Klinger, a former Dublin pris- sealed. Because the agree- employees and cover-ups lookout. told investigators in the in-
on recycling technician, ment is not public, it is not that have largely kept the Klinger told the women he terview, according to court
pleaded guilty in federal clear whether it includes abuse out of the public wanted to marry them and documents. He was placed
court in Oakland to three a clause requiring him to eye. FCI Dublin, about 21 father their children, even on administrative leave at
counts of sexual abuse of cooperate with authorities. miles (34 kilometers) east proposing to one of them that time.
a ward. He faces up to 15 In a court filing last month, of Oakland, was opened with a diamond ring after Another Dublin prison em-
years in prison, though in prosecutors said some of in 1974. It was converted in she was discharged to a ployee, chaplain James
other cases the sentences their evidence pertained 2012 to one of six women- halfway house, prosecutors Theodore Highhouse, is
have ranged from three to both Klinger and War- only facilities in the federal said. scheduled to plead guilty
months to two years. Klinger den Ray J. Garcia’s cases. prison system. Another prisoner aware of Feb. 23 to charges he put
remains free pending sen- Klinger’s lawyer, John Paul Klinger was arrested last the abuse reported Klinger his penis on an inmate’s
tencing. A status confer- Reichmuth, declined com- June and accused of sexu- to the Bureau of Prisons in genitals, mouth and hand
ence is scheduled for May ment. ally abusing at least two June 2020, according to and masturbated in front of
11. Klinger signed a plea An Associated Press investi- inmates between March the FBI. Klinger was still al- her in 2018 and 2019. High-
agreement in connection gation published this week and September 2020, in- lowed to transfer to a fed- house, 49, is also accused
with his guilty plea, but the found a permissive and cluding inside a warehouse eral jail in San Diego months of lying to investigators
document was not pub- toxic culture at the prison, and in a shipping container later. when questioned about
lished to the public docket. enabling years of sexual on prison grounds while an- After the transfer, prosecu- the abuse.q

Ex-Air Force sergeant pleads guilty to

killing federal guard

sergeant and alleged to the “boogaloo” move- George Floyd’s killing by a
member of the “booga- ment —a concept em- police officer in Minneapo-
loo” extremist movement braced by a loose network lis.
pleaded guilty Friday in the of gun enthusiasts and A week after the shoot-
fatal shooting of a federal militia-style extremists. The ing in Oakland, Carrillo al-
security officer in the San group started in alt-right legedly ambushed sher-
Francisco Bay Area amid culture on the internet with iff’s deputies in Santa Cruz
large 2020 protests against the belief that there is an County who were respond-
police brutality. Steven impending U.S. civil war, ing to a report of a van
Carrillo, 33, originally plead- according to experts. containing firearms and
ed not guilty in July 2020 in Authorities accused Car- bomb-making materials.
the killing of David Patrick rillo of fatally shooting Un- Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, 38,
Underwood, who was shot derwood after spraying a was killed and several other
on May 29, 2020, while he guard shack he was in with law enforcement officials
stood in a guard shack in bullets from a white van. were wounded, according
front of a federal building Prosecutors said Robert Al- to authorities and court re-
in Oakland. He changed vin Justus Jr., of Millbrae, cords.
the plea at a federal court drove the van. Prosecutors in Santa Cruz
in San Francisco after fed- The pair is accused of driv- charged Carrillo with a slew
eral prosecutors on Jan. ing to Oakland and taking of felonies, including mur-
This June 7, 2020, file booking photo from the Santa Cruz County, 31 agreed not to seek the advantage of the distrac- der and attempted murder
Calif., Sheriff’s Office shows Steven Carrillo.
Associated Press death penalty in the case. tion afforded by people in connection to that killing.
Prosecutors have said Car- marching through the Carrillo pleaded not guilty
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A former U.S. Air Force staff rillo, of Santa Cruz, had ties city’s downtown to protest to Gutzwiller’s killing.q