This month, we followed several cases of corruption across the country including disgraced police officers, mayors, and corrections officers. Let’s dive in.
A former Police Officer in California was found guilty of sexually assaulting and kidnapping four women while on duty, Fresno, California
A federal jury in Frenso, California found disgraced Police Officer J. DeShawn Torrence, 40, guilty of 8 counts including:
- Deprivation of Constitutional Rights Under Color of Law,
- Kidnapping,
- Aggravated sexual abuse,
- Attempted aggravated sexual abuse,
- and Caused bodily injury.
A statement from the Department of Justice also accused Torrence of kidnapping one of the victims, 21, in his police vehicle before sexually assaulting her. In another case, Torrence was found guilty of following a 67-year-old woman home and raping her inside her home.
According to the Department of Justice’s Office of Public Affairs, Torrence showed up at the third victim’s home in his uniform before forcibly entering her house and sexually assaulting her. He was also found guilty of sexually assaulting a fourth victim after going to her home multiple times to “supposedly investigate a prior domestic violence incident,” the press release states.
During the trial, the jury heard from a fifth woman, who testified that Torrence assaulted her while he was on duty.
Torrence was charged with a total of 8 counts including Deprivation of Constitutional Rights Under Color of Law, also known by the federal government as Section 242 of Title 18. “Color of Law” refers to illegal actions taken by law enforcement officials that are presented as legal. This includes unlawful practices by federal, state, or local officials. Ex: police officers, judges, prison guards, and other public officials.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, offenses of this kind are punishable up to a life term, and can result in the death penalty depending on the circumstances of the crime committed.
Torrence was scheduled for sentencing on May 7, but that is now scheduled for September 22, 2025 at 11:00 AM.
A month after Torrence was found guilty, another former officer of the Sanger Police Department was indicted for allegedly dealing firearms without a license.
Dismissal of Corruption Charges Against NYC Mayor Eric Adams, New York City, New York
In April, the federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams were officially dropped, with officials citing that the criminal allegations could hinder the Mayor’s ability to re-run in the upcoming election and assist the Federal government in its immigration crackdown.
After more than a year of investigations, the U.S. Department of Justice directed the dismissal of federal corruption charges against Mayor Adams in February 2025 under Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove.
Federal Judge Dale Ho initially questioned Attorney General Bove’s true motives in wanting to dismiss the charges. Prior to the official dismissal, Judge Ho summoned Attorney General Bove and those in support of the dismissal to his courtroom to discuss the request.
Judge Ho agreed to drop the charges, and although the dismissal request asked that the charges be dropped without prejudice, meaning they can be refiled at a future date, this was rejected by Judge Ho.
In his official ruling, Judge Ho stated, “In light of DOJ’s rationales, dismissing the case without prejudice would create the unavoidable perception that the Mayor’s freedom depends on his ability to carry out the immigration enforcement priorities of the administration, and that he might be more beholden to the demands of the federal government than to the wishes of his own constituents.”
Judge Ho continued, stating that he agreed to the dismissal so that the federal indictment could not be used “as leverage” against Mayor Adams in the future.
The charges, initially filed in September 2024, included bribery and conspiracy related to alleged payments from Turkish nationals. Additionally, the DOJ cited that the investigation hindered Mayor Adams’ ability to assist the administration’s immigration crack down.
According to the Department of Justice, Adams was charged with the following:
- One count of conspiracy to receive campaign contributions from foreign nationals and commit wire fraud and bribery
- One count of wire fraud
- Two counts of soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals
- One count of soliciting and accepting a bribe
You can read the full federal indictment here.
The dismissal led to the resignation of seven DOJ prosecutors, citing concerns over the politicization of justice.
In documents obtained by NBC News, investigators in New York were still gathering evidence into the corruption charges just days up to the dismissal through the federal court in Washington D.C..
Additionally, NBC News reports that the investigation into Adams began during his election campaign back in August 2021.
According to Politico, The Justice Department failed to present files from the case after being ordered by U.S. District Judge Dale Ho. Politico reports that Judge Ho instructed prosecutors involved with the case to redact names of law enforcement and unindicted subjects named in the files.
In April, Adams announced he is still running for reelection; but this time as an independent candidate. The New York City mayoral primary election is on June 24, 2025.
Veteran NYPD detective Paul D’Amico has been charged with forcible touching and third-degree sexual abuse after allegedly groping a female officer at police headquarters on the morning of Feb. 5, 2025, New York City, New York
New York Daily News reported that a female officer reported someone non consensually groping her backside. According to reports, the victim said she saw D’Amico who allegedly apologized and fled. D’Amico was charged with forcible touching and sex abuse in the third degree, New York Daily NNews reported.
D’Amico began his career with the NYPD’s 115th Precinct in 1996 before he was assigned to the Criminal Justice Bureau. In this position, he was reportedly tasked with transporting Chief Ruben Beltan, Chief of Information Technology and 39 year NYPD veteran.
According to reports, D’Amico was transferred to the NYPD’s Medical Division in March 2025 before his arrest on April 10. D’Amico was transferred again in May 2025 and served in the Property Clerk’s Office.
A judge released him without bail but imposed a restraining order to protect the victim, New York Daily News reports.
U.S. to pay $116M settlement to over 100 women after rampant sexual abuse at Calif. women’s prison, Dublin, California
The landmark decision marks the largest ever paid by the federal government for sexual abuse within the prison system. According to the firm representing the victims, the settlement averages about $1.1 million per survivor, or about $116 million total.
The women were located at the now-closed Federal Correctional Institute (FCI) Dublin, California, a low security, all women’s prison. FCI Dublin opened its doors in 1989 and stayed open until the Federal Bureau of Prisons shut them down in April 2024.
An Associated Press investigation conducted just a month prior in February 2022 found evidence of rampant sexual abuse inside the prison; So much so that the prison was nicknamed “The Rape Club,” the AP reports. The investigation found rampant sexual abuse and evidence that women who came forward with the abuse faced solitary confinement or loss of privileges.
The allegations have since led to numerous arrests, including seven corrections officers and former Federal Prison Warden Ray Garcia. Garcia was convicted of sexual assaulting three female inmates in December 2022 as well as providing false statements to the FBI.
With the overwhelming evidence, many claimed officials were assisting the prison in covering up their illegal activities. It’s interesting to note that a third party audit posted on March 21, 2022, found the facility was compliant with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA).
The Federal Bureau of Prisons posted a report in March 2022 regarding an outside audit conducted at the prison, stating that the prison did not comply with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). PREA was passed by Congress in 2003 and created several standards and mandated research related to prison rape.
According to the report, the prison did not have any external entities responsible for administrative investigations. Typical entities would include local law enforcement, state police, or departments, or U.S. Department of Justice.
The auditor responsible for the report found that during interviews, numerous inmates expressed fear of retaliation from staff if they reported sexual abuse. The report noted one inmate-on-inmate sexual misconduct case and eight inmate-on-staff misconduct allegations. However, the auditor noted they did not discover evidence of retaliation.
The settlement follows a separate class-action lawsuit from a group of survivors and the California Coalition for Women Prisoners demanding policy reform. The agreement requires the Bureau of Prisons to implement significant reforms. These include appointing a court monitor, publicly acknowledging the abuse, and providing early release pathways for affected inmates.
While the financial compensation offers some measure of justice, survivors emphasize that it cannot erase the trauma endured. Advocates continue to push for systemic changes to prevent such abuses at different facilities around the nation.
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Sam Berlin
Sam is an award winning-journalist originally from Raleigh, North Carolina and currently living in Brooklyn, New York.
She graduated from Syracuse University in 2020 where she studied magazine journalism, photography, and sociology.
She joined LUNASHARK™ Media in 2023 where she assists with research, producing, recording and editing for True Sunlight™ and Cup of Justice podcasts.
Through her detailed, ethical reporting and multimedia experience, Sam creates enterprise stories and works to unravel the truth around her.
Sam is also a talented artist creating everything from miniatures to funky custom jewelry, each piece is made by hand in Brooklyn, NY. Embracing bright colors and unconventional designs, BERLINbyHand is all about self-expression and being bold.