A 47-year-old ex-prison guard from Kapolei pleaded guilty Monday to raping female inmates while he worked at the Federal Detention Center Honolulu, according to a plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Mikael Salvador Rivera Opens in a new tab, aka “Sanny,” was originally charged in a 17-count indictment with six counts of sexual abuse by threats and 11 counts of sexual abuse of a ward.
He previously pleaded not guilty to the allegations on Jan. 26, 2023, and was released on a $50,000 unsecured bond ahead of trial, according to court documents. Rivera is now in custody at the FDC Honolulu ahead of his sentencing.
On Monday, as part of his agreement with federal prosecutors, Rivera admitted his guilt to six counts of sexual abuse of a ward.
Rivera is scheduled to to be sentenced July 3 at 10 a.m. before Senior U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison on each count, three years of supervised release and up to a $250,000 fine.
Rivera is required to register as a sex offender after he gets out of prison.
Starting in 2014 and continuing until September 2018 Rivera worked at FDC Honolulu as a correctional officer. FDC Honolulu housed over 300 male and female inmates when Rivera worked there.
As part of his training as a correctional officer, Rivera was taught that he “cannot maintain inappropriate relationships with inmates, including becoming emotionally, physically, sexually, or financially involved with inmates or former inmates,” according to the Jan. 19, 2023, indictment.
In 2017 he initiated a sexual relationship with an inmate that lasted for months. Rivera would sneak the woman out of her cell for liaisons.
When the female prisoner was transferred to another facility, a review of Rivera’s digital communications revealed emails between the pair recounting their sexual escapades in federal prison.
In April 2018, Rivera “expressed sexual interest” in another female inmate before violating her, according to the plea agreement filed Monday.
In May 2018, the Rivera started making “lewd and inappropriate comments” toward another female inmate. He would “kick her door, and would stare into her cell” despite the woman rebuffing his advances.
On May 15, 2018, he left the woman’s cell unlocked, walked in, and ordered her to perform a sexual act, according to court documents.
The plea agreement documents three other sexual assaults of the woman by Rivera, including an incident where he raped her over a trash can after taking her out of her cell.
In 2022 a $100,000 settlement was reached between Rivera and two former female inmates in a 2020 civil complaint. The women alleged Rivera sexually assaulted them in May 2018.
Rivera denied he sexually assaulted the two inmates, according to court records. The women also alleged detention center staff retaliated against them after they reported the assaults.
Two prison officials and the federal government were later dismissed from the civil lawsuit.
The case was investigated by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General’s Western Region and agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara D. Ayabe and Trial Attorney Nicole Lockhart of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case, with “substantial assistance” from former Public Integrity Section deputy chiefs Jennifer Clarke and Marco Palmieri, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
