Federal Correctional Officer Charged with Assault and Falsifying Report to Obstruct an Investigation

FRESNO, Calif. - Sandra Munagay, 42, of Atwater, a Senior Correctional Officer at the United States Penitentiary, Atwater appeared in federal court today for arraignment on a two-count indictment charging her with assaulting an inmate and obstruction of justice, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to the indictment, on Nov. 2, 2023, Munagay allegedly struck an inmate housed at the federal prison in Atwater. The same day, she falsified a report about the incident.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey A. Spivak and Karen A. Escobar are prosecuting the case.

Munagay is scheduled for a status conference on Dec. 11, 2024. If convicted, Munagay faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for falsifying a report to obstruct an investigation and one year in prison and a $100,000 fine for the assault. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.