Edy Antonio, Jr. was sentenced on June 2 to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to coerce and entice two minors into sexual activity, according to an announcement by United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and Homeland Security Investigations San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Jeff Brannigan.
Antonio, 31, of Salinas, was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 6, 2025, and pleaded guilty on February 9, 2026, to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. According to his guilty plea, on April 21, 2025, Antonio responded via text message to an advertisement he believed depicted two minor girls aged 12 and 14 years old on a website promoting commercial sex services. He agreed to pay $500 for sexual conduct with the minors and traveled to a hotel in Salinas where he was arrested by officers from the Salinas Police Department. The complaint states that Antonio worked as a respiratory therapist at two hospitals in Salinas and Monterey.
U.S. District Judge Noël Wise imposed the sentence, which includes a prison term followed by a supervised release period of fifteen years after imprisonment. Antonio has been in custody since March 3, 2026.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Griswold is prosecuting the case with assistance from Elise Etter. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Salinas Police Department.
The Justice Department serves as the principal federal agency for law enforcement with more than 115,000 employees operating across the United States and internationally; it focuses on upholding the rule of law while ensuring national safety and safeguarding civil rights under Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s leadership since March 11, 2021. It maintains operations throughout over fifty countries globally; Garland has overseen key prosecutions including cases such as the Oklahoma City bombing case during his tenure at the department, according to its official website.