ALBUQUERQUE – U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez and Special Agent in Charge Monte A. Cason of the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, Dallas Field Office, announced that a former employee of a halfway house in Albuquerque, N.M., has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing six female inmates who were under his custodial authority.
Eric Trujillo, 35, of Albuquerque, entered his guilty plea in federal court this morning to a six-count felony information charging him with sexually abusing persons in official detention. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Trujillo will be sentenced within the range of four to 15 years in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court. Trujillo also will be required to register as a sex offender.
Trujillo was arrested in Nov. 2015, on a seven-count indictment charging him with aggravated sexual abuse and sexual abuse of persons in official detention. The indictment charged Trujillo with sexually abusing four women who were living at a halfway house in Bernalillo County, N.M., that provided lodging and other services for federal inmates under a contract with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. According to the indictment, Trujillo committed the crimes between June 2012 and March 2014, while he was employed as a resident monitor by the halfway house.
The indictment was superseded on March 23, 2016, to add two more sexual abuse charges. The new charges alleged that between May 2012 and Sept. 7, 2012, Trujillo sexually assaulted two more women who were residing at the halfway house.
During today’s proceedings, Trujillo pled guilty to six counts of sexual abuse of a person in official detention. In entering the guilty plea, Trujillo admitted that between May 2012 and March 2014, he engaged in sexual acts with six female inmates who were living at the halfway house pursuant to a contract with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Trujillo acknowledged that at the time, he was employed as a resident monitor and guard by the halfway house and that the victims were in official detention and under his custodial, supervisory and disciplinary authority.
Trujillo was remanded into custody after entering his guilty plea. He will remain detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Dallas Field Office of the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Novaline D. Wilson and Sarah J. Mease.
Information from Department of Justice