According to federal officials, a former federal correctional officer in Fort Worth pleaded guilty on Wednesday to sexually abusing numerous inmates.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Luis Curiel, 47, pled guilty on May 18 to two charges of sexual abuse of a ward.
Curiel acknowledged meeting one inmate near an elevator and having sexual relations with her on a nearby staircase in October 2021. He participated in sexual acts with two additional inmates outside the same elevator that month.
All three victims were under his custodial, supervisory, or disciplinary authority when Curiel worked as a correctional officer at Carswell Federal Medical Center.
FMC Carswell is a federal prison with administrative security that treats female inmates with special medical and mental health requirements.
“Curiel abused his authority as a correctional officer and sexually abused several inmates under his supervision,” said Cloey C. Pierce, special agent in charge of the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General in Dallas.
Pierce added, “Sexual abuse of inmates is never tolerated, and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who engage in this kind of conduct.”
The investigation was carried out by the Inspector General’s Office with compliance from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem is prosecuting the case.
Curiel now faces a federal prison sentence of up to 30 years (15 years per count). He will be sentenced on September 8.