United States Coast Guard Investigator Jonathan Sall, 57, who previously pleaded guilty to third-degree rape, residential burglary and indecent liberties without forcible compulsion was sentenced to four years in prison. Sall was an employee with the Coast Guard Investigative Service in Seattle. He was the special agent in charge of the Coast Guard’s Northwest region.
The prosecutor asked the judge to sentence Sall to six years in prison, a sentence above the standard range, citing aggravating factors for abuse of trust and violation of privacy.
“Did he think I would not wake up as he sexually assaulted me?” the victim asked during an emotional statement to the court. She said Sall violated her in the worst way possible, and she will never be able to erase it from her mind. “I don’t understand why he did this to me, and I probably never will,” she added.
Her boyfriend also read a statement to the court, in which he stated Sall was his boss, mentor and friend. “I will never forget that image, the image of Jon hiding at the end of my bed as he got caught,” he said.
Ironically, Sall investigated the same crimes that he’s now going to prison for. The boyfriend said he doesn’t believe this is the first time Sall has done something like this. Sall’s attorney, said his client has never been accused, charged or convicted of any crimes, before this incident.
AS A SIDE NOTE: It’s almost funny to hear Sall’s attorney say that about his client. That’s the same reason American admirals and generals are allowed to retire to avoid prosecution, so they can make the same statement after raping, pillaging and plundering. The military makes sure that very few of their admirals and generals are ever investigated, charged or convicted. The Air Force makes sure that none of their flag-ranking officers are every held accountable.
Since the offense, Sall has completed alcohol counseling and attended 110 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, said his defense counsel. As Sall began to apologize for his actions, Judge Gregory Gonzales ordered that he turn to the gallery and say it to the victim.
“I apologize from the bottom of my heart,” he said. “You did nothing to deserve this. This was 100 percent on me.”
Sall told the victim he wishes he could explain why he did it but doesn’t understand it himself. “This is not who I am. I am not this kind of person. It was the alcohol,” he said. He vowed to never drink again. Again, the boyfriend thinks it’s not the first time he’s done something like this, so this may be the exact kind of person he is, but no one every knew it.
Gonzales told Sall that all of his dedicated years of patriotism are gone. “You wasted your entire career,” he said. “You have literally ruined (the victim’s) life. It’s going to be a long time before she recovers from this.”
Still, Gonzales said, he can’t sentence someone based on emotion, and he didn’t believe there was enough evidence to allow for an exceptional sentence. He sentenced Sall to the high end of the standard sentencing range — 48 months. The judge also imposed a 25-year no-contact order with the victim. “I hope you figure out your life in prison,” Gonzales told Sall. “Your actions were horrific.”
(We thank Jessica Prokop for the update on this story)
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
Jonathan Sall, 56, was a civilian employee with the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) in Seattle, Washington and was the special agent in charge of the Coast Guard’s Northwest region. The Coast Guard relieved Jonathan Sall of his position as special agent in charge pending the outcome of his case.
Special agent Sall was originally charged with second-degree rape and indecent liberties in connection with an incident that occurred 17FEB18 in Vancouver, Washington. On 02MAR18, he plead not-guilty, then on 19JUL18, he plead guilty to a plea-bargain deal of third-degree rape. It would seem he’s looking at losing his career in the Coast Guard Investigative Service and a prison sentence to boot.
While that’s logical and makes sense, it doesn’t always follow American protocol. Remember the numerous people in Washington D.C. who are accused of nefarious dealings and never receive any punishment. They not only continue to receive a paycheck, but also retain their security clearances. If Jonathan Sall were in Washington D.C., he probably would have avoided a conviction and possibly been promoted. Please pardon our cynicism, but there once was a time when our country believed in the rule of law.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, sheriff’s deputies were called to a residence in Vancouver, Washington shortly after 6 a.m. Jonathan Sall had apparently slipped into a bed where a fellow agent and his girlfriend were sleeping. The girlfriend (victim) told deputies that she was awakened at about 3 a.m. to discover Sall inappropriately touching her.
She kicked Sall away and raising her voice demanded he get the fuck out of the couple’s bed and bedroom immediately. The commotion woke up his fellow CGIS agent who was sawing logs on the other side of the bed. The drowsy agent noticed Jonathan Sall crawling out of the bedroom and called 911.
Sall was sleeping in the couple’s home when deputies arrived. He claimed he had been there for a party the night before and couldn’t remember what happened overnight, the affidavit said. When asked specifically about the sexual assault, Special Agent Sall asserted his Fifth Amendment Right against Self-incrimination, saying “I have nothing more to say.”
People who have known Jonathan Sall since the early 1990s say he was arrogant as all hell. “He probably was all that and a bag of chips,” said a member of our staff. One particular individual who knew Sall for two decades asked to remain anonymous, but said that Jonathan Sall had many friends because of his gregarious party-animal persona, but speculated that he may have had just as many enemies because of the supreme arrogance that he frequently displayed. Sometimes when a person is given a badge and gun, they morph into a very different person altogether.
Sall may have plead guilty to save his wife from an embarrassing trial and complete financial ruin having to pay exorbitant legal costs. Those familiar with both Jonathan and his wife say that he probably deserved his fate. but Mrs. Sall certainly didn’t deserve all the anguish she has been forced to endure. A conviction means that Jonathan Sall will probably have to find another line of work that does not involve a badge and gun.
We say this cautiously. In another case, Lieutenant Colonel Bryan J. Bodner was convicted at a court martial of raping a woman and went on to a very lucrative career working for the government involved in sensitive classified work. How in the world Bodner retained his security clearance is still a mystery.
While there are people out there, most likely including the victim, who would like to see Jonathan Sall flipping hamburgers at McDonalds after a lengthy prison sentence; don’t hold your breath. Sadly, many criminals are actually rewarded by the American judicial system. Don’t forget about Kate Steinle who was shot in the back by Jose Inez Garcia Zarate on 01JUL2015. A San Francisco jury acquitted Zarate of murder and manslaughter charges.
Actually, two women were victimized by the actions of this stupid and arrogant man, his wife and the girlfriend of his fellow special agent. It makes us wonder, if during his investigative career, was Jonathan Sall ever involved in any cases where people were charged with fraternization, adultery, sexual assault or rape? It’s like being convicted in the military of fraternization when Bill Clinton was President, the ultimate example of hypocrisy.
What Sall’s sentence will be is anyone’s guess. The case is being handled by Judge Gregory Gonzales, Department 4, in Vancouver, Washington, Superior Court. Phone number is: 360-397-2150.
Jonathan Sall reminds us of another supremely arrogant individual who also had a proclivity for sexual assault…
