A former CIA officer was sentenced on Wednesday to 30 years in prison for drugging, sexually abusing, and filming multiple women without their consent, marking one of the most serious misconduct cases in the agency’s history.
Brian Jeffrey Raymond, 48, from La Mesa, California, was found to have photographed and filmed 28 women while they were unconscious or unable to give consent, in incidents that occurred across multiple countries, according to a statement from the United States Attorney’s Office.
Raymond pleaded guilty in November 2023 to charges including sexual abuse, abusive sexual contact, coercion and enticement, and the transportation of obscene material. His crimes, which spanned 14 years from 2006 to 2020, also included drugging and sexually abusing four women and engaging in nonconsensual sexual contact with six others, as part of a plea deal.
“While employed by the government, this predator lured unsuspecting women to his government-leased housing and drugged them,” U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves said. “After incapacitating them, he stripped, sexually abused, and photographed them. Today’s sentence ensures he will be labeled a sex offender for life and will spend a significant portion of his remaining years behind bars.”
David Sundberg, FBI assistant director in charge of the Washington Field Office, emphasized how Raymond abused his position of trust as a government employee. “He drugged and sexually assaulted these women, taking explicit photos and videos without their consent. We are grateful to the brave women who came forward, which helped advance this investigation.”
Court records reveal that many of Raymond’s victims were assaulted in government-leased residences, particularly while he was stationed in Mexico City. The investigation saw cooperation between the FBI, the Mexican government, and local police forces.
The Attorney General’s statement noted evidence of Raymond “touching and manipulating the victims’ bodies while they were unconscious.” Raymond later attempted to destroy video evidence after a criminal investigation was initiated.
Accused met many women on Tinder
During the trial, the court heard how Raymond met victims through Tinder and other dating apps, inviting them to his home where he drugged them. He would then spend hours posing their bodies, with some victims only learning of the abuse when the FBI later showed them photos.
“My body looks like a corpse on his bed,” one victim said after seeing the images. “I now have nightmares of seeing myself dead.”
In court, Raymond expressed remorse for his actions, saying, “It betrayed everything I stand for, and I know no apology will ever be enough. There are no words to describe how sorry I am. That’s not who I am, but it’s who I became.”
The CIA strongly condemned Raymond’s actions, stating, “There is absolutely no excuse for Mr. Raymond’s reprehensible, appalling behavior. As this case demonstrates, we remain committed to cooperating fully with law enforcement.”
Raymond’s attorney, Howard Katzoff, argued that his client had worked “tirelessly” at his job and became emotionally detached over time, which led to his isolation and eventual criminal behavior.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Raymond to undergo supervised release for life, register as a sex offender, and pay $260,000 in restitution to his victims.
