On May 12, 2017, Baca was sentenced to three years in federal prison for his role in a scheme to obstruct an FBI investigation of abuses in county jails; he was convicted by a federal jury following a retrial on March 15, 2017. He was due to report to jail on July 25, 2017, to begin carrying out his three-year sentence, but a stay was granted the day prior pending an appeal. Baca lost his second bid for an appeal on August 23, 2017.