California women's prison dubbed 'The Rape Club' which once housed Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman is raided by FBI: List of victims tops 100 as lawsuits reveal inmates were forced to pose naked and have sex on video

A California prison plagued by so much sexual abuse that it was referred to as 'The Rape Club' has been raided by the FBI - after housing high-profile inmates like Full House's Lori Loughlin and Desperate Housewives' Felicity Huffman.

The operation, which saw FBI agents haul boxes of evidence from the Dublin facility Monday, follows an investigation that put an ex-warden and others behind bars.

They were found guilty of sexually abusing inmates at FCI Dublin, a low-security federal prison for women only.

The public figures have thus far not been named in any of the allegations levied against the prison, which also housed Allison Mack, an actor on Superman spinoff Smallville found to be a member of a sordid sex cult, for 11 days in 2019.

The raid comes as several women have come forward in suits against guards and staff, a number that has now reached at least 63. However, that figure is now expected to surpass 100, attorneys said Tuesday - as ex-inmates continue to claim they were forced by staff to pose naked and have sex on video.

Art Dulgov was removed as warden of FCI Dublin in the wake of allegations that his staff had retaliated against an inmate who testified in a January lawsuit against the prison

The low-security, all-female profile has houses some high-profile inmates in the past, including Desperate Housewives' Felicity Huffman, Full House's Lori Loughlin, and Smallville star-turned sex cultist Allison Mack. Each served sentences of two years or less, from 2019 to 2021

FBI spokesperson Cameron Polan confirmed that agents were there conducting 'court-authorized law enforcement activity,' as more than a dozen FBI agents were seen seizing computers, documents and other evidence by an anonymous source who spoke to the Associated Press. 

The insider added how the federal agents also attempted to interview employees, but like Polan, did not provide any other details.

A Bureau of Prisons spokesperson further confirmed that Deputy Regional Director N.T. McKinney will now serve as the prison's interim warden, following the ouster of former overseer Art Dulgov.

He was removed as warden Monday, after holding the position for just three months.

His predecessor, Ray Garcia, and the facility’s chaplain were indicted on sexual assault charges against inmates in 2021, before being found guilty this past year.

He is currently serving a 70-month prison term, as his replacement now faces allegations that his staff retaliated against an inmate who testified against the prison in January as part of the case.

McKinney will replace Dulgov on an interim basis effective immediately, prison brass said - revealing that an associate warden and prison captain working under Dulgov were also removed from their positions.

Also pulled was an executive assistant who oversaw the prison's minimum-security satellite camp, government lawyers said, after Monday's search came to a close.

FBI agents hauled boxes of evidence from the facility on Monday after an investigation that put a former warden and other employees behind bars for sexually abusing inmates

The prison, about 21 miles east of Oakland, has been dubbed the 'rape club' due to years of rampant staff-on-inmate sexual abuse

More than a dozen FBI agents searched FCI Dublin, seizing computers, documents and other evidence and seeking to interview employees, an anonymous source told the Associated Press

Ray J Garcia, pictured, is serving a six year sentence sexually abusing three female inmates while working as a warden. He's pictured outside an Oakland court where he was found guilty in November. He was convicted for molesting inmates and forcing them to pose naked

The move echoes another move by the Bureau before the case came to light, which saw Garcia placed on administrative leave after a raid on his office and vehicle in July 2021.

Monday's search, moreover, marks a new twist in the saga - coming days after a new wave of civil lawsuits alleged more incidents of abuse and retaliation.

It also comes as a federal judge is said to be considering appointing a special master to oversee the prison's operations, as the claims continue to pile up.

As mentioned, Dulgov and staff are accused of retaliating against one specific inmate who testified in January, after alleging that instances of 'horrific abuse and exploitation' were occurring at the NorCal prison, 

Some of the assaults were even caught on camera, inmates said - claiming in the class-action that staffers forced them to pose naked and have sex whilst being filmed.

The inmate in question has since been transferred to a different facility, filings in the case show - a decision that comes despite a judge's order not to transfer any witnesses without court approval.

Meanwhile, a total of at least eight FCI Dublin staffers have been charged with sexually abusing inmates, with seven found guilty.

Five pleaded guilty for a deal to get less prison time, while two - including Garcia - were convicted at trial. Another case, as of writing, is still pending, as Dulgov remains uncharged.

Huffman - one of 33 parents accused of conspiring to get their children into college - served 11 days of a 14-day prison sentence at the NorCal facility 

Loughlin - seen here outside a Boston court in April 2019 - served two months for the same scheme

Mack, who pleaded guilty over her role in a sex-trafficking case tied to the cult group NXIVM, was released this past July two years into a three-year sentence

He was put in charge of the prison late last year after ex-warden Thahesha Jusino's retirement, before which she vowed to rebuild broken trust when she took over in March 2022.  

Her male replacement website lists accolades for corrections work like the Bureau of Prisons' Golden Apple Award and an award from California prosecutors in 2019 for helping implement the Trump administration's 'zero tolerance' immigration policy. 

He has also been a federal prison warden in Arizona.

The website also notes that Dulgov, who taught middle school before entering the corrections industry, has served as an Equal Employment Opportunity counselor and has regular trained his staff in equal employment policies and procedures, civil rights and federal regulations. 

Before Jusino, then-deputy regional director T. Ray Hinkle served as interim warden - another short-lived stint where he pledged to staff that he would help Dublin 'regain its reputation,' 

However, his tenure was marred by allegations that he targeted whistleblowers working under him and clashed with a visiting congresswoman.

An AP investigation in 2021 found a culture of abuse and cover-ups at the prison that had persisted for years, leading to increased scrutiny from Congress and pledges from the Bureau of Prisons that it would address the issues.

Last August, eight FCI Dublin inmates sued the Bureau of Prisons, alleging the agency had failed to root out the sexual abuse as promised.

Filing a class action suit, Amaris Montes, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said the inmates continued to face retaliation after reporting the abuse, including being put in solitary confinement and having her belongings confiscated.

Huffman - one of 33 parents accused of conspiring to get their children into college - served 11 days of a 14-day prison sentence at the NorCal facility, while Loughlin served two months for the same scheme. 

Mack, who pleaded guilty over her role in a sex-trafficking case tied to the cult group NXIVM, was released this past July two years into a three-year sentence.

The scandal has been one of many plaguing the federal Bureau of Prisons, which is also beset by rampant staffing shortages, suicides and security breaches.

Last month, Dulgov - who has not been charged with any wrongdoing - took to his personal blog to write about the 'symbiotic relationship between Leadership and Personal Well-being,' two months after stepping into the position of warden.

'Leadership is often associated with guiding others, making tough decisions, and achieving organizational goals,' he wrote on his personal blog. 

'However, an essential aspect of effective leadership that is sometimes overlooked is the profound impact it can have on personal well-being. The relationship between leadership and personal well-being is symbiotic, with each influencing and complementing the other in profound ways.'