September 28, 2022 - FRESNO, Calif. — After a six–day trial, a federal jury found Ramonchito Racion, 52, of Merced, guilty today of one count of attempted sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to evidence presented at trial, Racion, who was working as a cook in Yosemite in the summer of 2019, sexually assaulted his roommate while the roommate was sleeping.

This case is the product of an investigation by the National Park Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael G. Tierney and Justin J. Gilio are prosecuting the case.

Racion is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Jan. 20, 2023. Racion faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

Source: DOJ Release