Third Former Guard at Troubled Federal Prison in Brooklyn Sentenced After Retrial and Conviction for Raping Prisoner
by Chuck Sharman
On April 25, 2022, a former guard employed by the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) at Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping a prisoner. After completing his prison term, Carlos Richard Martinez, 52, must also remain on supervised release for five years, and he must register as a sex offender.
His victim, who appeared in court as “Maria,” testified that she was assigned in 2015 to clean an area of the prison that included Martinez’s office. In December of that year, the guard summoned her alone on a weekend, to clean the office when the area was deserted. The federal court for the Eastern District of New York later recalled what happened next:
“While Maria bent over to retrieve cleaning supplies from a cabinet inside the Lieutenants’ Office, Martinez pulled his penis out of his pants, grabbed her head and shoulder, and pushed Maria towards his penis, forcing it into her mouth.”
The guard also told his victim that “he could view the feed from all the cameras monitoring the area via a monitor located on the desk,” the Court continued, “so he could make sure no one would walk in on them.”
The assaults continued for five months Maria’s until April 2016 release. After she filed a complaint, investigators uncovered evidence that Martinez and two other guards were sexually abusing prisoners at the lockup. In May 2017, Martinez was indicted along with the other two, Eugenio Perez and Armando Moronta. [See: PLN, Nov. 2017, p.1; and Jan. 2018, p.63.]
A jury convicted Martinez on May 14, 2018. [See: PLN, Jan. 2019, p.62.] He appealed that verdict to the Court, claiming that evidence was improperly withheld from the jury which might indicate that his relationship with Maria was consensual. The Court said that wouldn’t help him overturn his conviction for sexual abuse of a ward, since consent is no defense to that charge. But on June 24, 2019, a new trial was ordered for Martinez on his other charges. See: United States v. Martinez, 388 F.Supp. 3d 225 (E.D.N.Y. 2019).
At the second trial on February 20, 2020, the jury again returned a guilty verdict. Judge Edward R. Korman then sentenced Martinez to 10 years in the custody of the U.S. Attorney General, followed by the term of supervised release. See: USA v. Martinez, USDC (E.D.N.Y.), Case No. 1:17-cr-00281.
Meanwhile Moronta pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a 10-year term in October 2018. Perez was convicted and sentenced to a 25-year term in July 2019. BOP is holding Moronta, 45, at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Texarkana, Texas, with a scheduled release in November 2025. Perez, 52, is held at Fort Worth Federal Medical Center, with release scheduled in October 2038. Martinez is currently held by BOP at FCI-Englewood in Colorado, with a scheduled release in December 2025.
Six women who claimed to be victims of the errant former guards have filed six civil lawsuits for damages, all proceeding under pseudonyms. The cases remain open, and PLN will update developments as they are available.
In two separate suits, “M.P.” and “B.R.” are both represented by attorneys with Beldock Levine & Hoffman LLP in Manhattan, as well as Gillian R. Cassell-Stiga of Free Speech for People in Newton, MA. See: M.P. v. USA, USDC (E.D.N.Y.), Case No. 1:18-cv-00459; and B.R. v. USA,USDC (E.D.N.Y.), Case No. 1:19-cv-01155.
In the third suit, “A.P.” is represented by attorneys with Cuti Hecker Wang LLP in Manhattan. See: A.P. v. USA, USDC (E.D.N.Y.), Case No. 1:18-cv-04661.
In her suit, “R.O.” is represented by Manhattan attorneys with the Law Office of Ellie Silverman, P.C, Liakas Law, P.C. and the Law Office of Paul V. Prestia, PLLC. See: R.O. v. USA, USDC (E.D.N.Y.), Case No. 1:18-cv-02059.
“Jane Doe” is represented by attorneys with the Law Office of Michael S. Lamonsoff, PLLC in Manhattan, as well as Toresco & Simonelli, P.C. in West Islip. See: Doe v. USA, USDC (E.D.N.Y.), Case No. 1:19-cv-01239.
In the sixth suit, “J.B.” is represented by Manhattan attorneys with Cary London Law PLLC, Shulman & Hill, PLLC and Caitlin Robin and Associates PLLC. See: J.B. v. USA, USDC (E.D.N.Y.), Case No. 1:19-cv-03924.
Across the East River from MDC at the now-shuttered Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, another former BOP guard was sexually abusing prisoners, too. Colin Akparanta pleaded guilty in 2020 and was sentenced to a 42-month prison term. He is currently held at FCI-Texarkana, with a release scheduled for February 2024. By May 2022, BOP had settled a pair of lawsuits filed by his six victims for a total of $4.18 million. [See: PLN, Jan. 2023, p.40.]
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