Maria Andrea Gonzalez, Sexual Assault & Drug Trafficking, Washington 2019

In a shocking case of violence behind bars, Maria Andrea Gonzalez, a 31-year-old resident of Yakima, Washington, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for attempted aggravated sexual assault of a female federal inmate.

Gonzalez, who was convicted in February 2019 of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, pleaded guilty in July 2019 to the attempted aggravated sexual assault charge.

According to court documents, Gonzalez confronted another inmate at the Yakima County Jail, asking if she possessed drugs. When the inmate denied having any, Gonzalez and three other female inmates sexually assaulted the female inmate while searching for drugs. No drugs were found.

During a search incident to arrest by the Yakima Police Department (YPD) in 2019, Gonzalez was found to possess 337 grams of methamphetamine, 135 grams of heroin, a loaded firearm, and a large amount of U.S. currency. Gonzalez is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

In a second arrest by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) a few months later, Gonzalez was found to possess heroin, methamphetamine, and U.S. currency.

United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Gonzalez to a 20-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by 5 years of court supervision after she is released from federal prison.

Gonzalez was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Yakima Police Department, with support from the U.S. Marshals Service, Yakima County Department of Corrections, Washington State Patrol, and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Ian L. Garriques, Thomas J. Hanlon, and Richard C. Burson, Assistant United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/female-inmate-who-committed-sexual-assault-while-custody-drug-trafficking-and-firearm