From: Subject: Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Sex and Drug Trafficking Date: Fri, 4 Dec 2009 08:43:46 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/Public-Affairs/press_releases/press08/OhioManPleadsGuiltytoSexandDrugTrafficking.html X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 =EF=BB=BF Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Sex and Drug = Trafficking

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or

MARCIA MURPHY at = 410-209-4885  
December=20 3, 2009

FOR=20 IMMEDIATE=20 RELEASE                  = =20

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md           &nbs= p;            = ;            =    =20

 

OHIO MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO = SEX AND DRUG=20 TRAFFICKING

 

Used Craigslist, MySpace, = YouTube and=20 Other Social Networking Sites to Recruit Prostitutes and Sell Sexual=20 Services

Baltimore, Maryland - Richard Johnson, age = 22, of=20 Chillicothe, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to charges related to running a = sex and=20 drug trafficking business from an apartment in Millersville, announced = United=20 States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. = Rosenstein.

According to Johnson=E2=80=99s plea, from January to April, 2009, he = participated in=20 a conspiracy to conduct a prostitution business from an apartment in=20 Millersville, Maryland. Specifically, Johnson admits that he and his=20 co-conspirators transported, and enticed to travel, at least 12 = individuals from=20 two different states to Maryland, in order to engage in prostitution. = Johnson=20 directly and successfully recruited two of those individuals, and = attempted to=20 recruit additional females. Johnson and his co-conspirators shared in = the=20 prostitution earnings of girls who worked for them. Johnson spent his = earnings=20 on illegal narcotics, jewelry and expensive watches. Johnson and his=20 co-conspirators often boasted of the money they were earning in Maryland = by=20 filming videos displaying their items of wealth and posting them on the=20 internet.

Johnson and his co-conspirators used = Craigslist,=20 MySpace, YouTube, and other web-based social networking and classified=20 advertising services, as well as cellular telephones, to recruit females = to=20 serve as prostitutes, to promote their prostitution business, and to = advertise=20 sexual services. Johnson and his co-conspirators used prepaid debit = cards and=20 aliases when posting Craigslist ads for sexual services in order to = conceal=20 their unlawful activities. Johnson also assisted in photographing = females in=20 various states of undress to accompany advertisements of sexual services = on=20 Craigslist. Johnson and some co-conspirators also provided protection = for the=20 prostitutes working at the apartment in Millersville, even brandishing a = gun=20 during a dispute. Johnson also handled numerous firearms during the = conspiracy=20 and discharged a weapon in the apartment.

Also according to the plea agreement, from = at least=20 January 2009 through September 2009, Johnson and his conspirators = distributed=20 illegal narcotics to associates, prostitutes, sex and drug customers and = others,=20 both inside and outside of Maryland. Johnson admits that he is = responsible for=20 between 50 and 200 grams of MDMA, also known as Ecstasy, and = N-Benzylpiperazine,=20 also known as BZP. Johnson often came to Maryland to utilize the = Millersville=20 apartment to establish a drug business in Baltimore. On at least three=20 occasions, Johnson went to Detroit, Michigan with a co-conspirator to = purchase=20 illegal narcotics, later distributing these drugs in Ohio and Maryland. = Upon his=20 release from Maryland state custody in August 2009, Johnson returned to = Ohio and=20 continued to negotiate drug sales with a co-conspirator located in = Maryland.=20 Until his federal arrest in September 2009, Johnson also contacted a = number of=20 potential witnesses in this matter to provide warnings that law = enforcement was=20 still investigating.

Johnson faces a maximum sentence of: life = in prison=20 for sex trafficking by force; five years in prison for the prostitution=20 conspiracy; 10 years in prison for transportation for prostitution; 20 = years in=20 prison for enticement; and 20 years in prison for conspiracy to = distribute=20 Ecstasy and BZP. U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz scheduled his = sentencing=20 for February 12, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.

The case was investigated by the Maryland = Human=20 Trafficking Task Force formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of = human=20 trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include = federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service = providers=20 and local community members. For more information about the Maryland = Human=20 Trafficking Task Force, please visit=20 http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md/Human-Trafficking/index.html.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein = praised U.S.=20 Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Anne Arundel County Police = Department, Anne=20 Arundel County State=E2=80=99s Attorney=E2=80=99s Office, U.S. Army = Criminal Investigation=20 Command and the Chillicothe, Ohio Police Department for their assistance = and=20 investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Solette A. = Magnelli, who is prosecuting the case.

 

 

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