Yakima, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard Barker announced the sentencing of Jose Antonio Saldana, a 43-year-old resident of Wapato, Washington. Saldana received a 45-year prison sentence for three counts of abusive sexual contact and aggravated sexual abuse. His conviction followed a jury trial on March 12, 2025. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke ordered that his prison term be followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial and sentencing, Saldana’s offenses occurred from August 1999 to January 2014 in Wapato, Washington. He sexually abused three children under the age of 13. During the trial, victims provided testimony detailing the abuse they experienced, including incidents where Saldana touched them inappropriately and attempted further abuse.
“Mr. Saldana’s significant sentence reflects the seriousness of his conduct. I want to commend the brave victims who testified to the abuse they suffered and identified Mr. Saldana as their abuser,” stated Acting United States Attorney Barker. “My office will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable and support survivors on their path to healing.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Yakama Nation Police Department, with prosecution led by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Murphy.
