Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
A federal grand jury in Fresno has indicted former California Superior Court Judge Adolfo Corona, 66, on five counts related to sexual assault and obstruction of justice. The indictment was announced by the Justice Department.
According to the indictment, Corona is accused of sexually assaulting a court employee (Victim 1) on March 14, 2024, in a courthouse stairwell while serving as a judge. He is also charged with making false statements during interviews with the FBI and court administrators regarding the incident involving Victim 1.
The indictment further alleges that Corona obstructed an investigation into claims that he sexually assaulted another court employee (Victim 2). On December 5, 2023, Victim 2 was reportedly alone with Corona in his chambers for about two hours and was later found passed out. The charges state that Corona told the FBI he left Victim 2 alone to pick up a motorcycle and allegedly tried to persuade a motorcycle dealership employee to alter company records to support his alibi.
"If convicted, Corona faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison on the sexual assault charge and 20 years on each of the obstruction charges. 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."
The case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar for the Eastern District of California and Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer from the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting.
Authorities encourage anyone with information related to this case to contact their local FBI office or submit tips through official channels.
