From: Subject: Second Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Sex and Drug Trafficking Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 14:20:49 -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/SecondOhioManPleadsGuiltytoSexandDrugTrafficking.html X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 =EF=BB=BF Second 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 23, 2009

FOR=20 IMMEDIATE=20 RELEASE                  = =20

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

 

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

 

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

Baltimore, Maryland - Robert Harris, a/k/a = =E2=80=9CLittle=20 Rob,=E2=80=9D age 21, of Chillicothe, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to = charges related to=20 running a sex and drug trafficking business from an apartment in = Millersville,=20 announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J.=20 Rosenstein.

According to Harris=E2=80=99 plea, from January to April, 2009, he = participated in a=20 conspiracy to conduct a prostitution business from an apartment in = Millersville,=20 Maryland. Harris and his co-conspirators transported, and enticed to = travel, at=20 least 12 individuals from at least two different states to Maryland.=20 Specifically, Harris transported one girl from Ohio to Maryland to = engage in=20 prostitution. Once in Maryland, she was photographed unclothed as well = as=20 partially clothed and was given an alias. The photos and the alias were = used in=20 the Craigslist ads that offered her for sex acts. While a 202 phone = number=20 belonging to one of the co-conspirator was given in the ads for sex = customers to=20 call and make a date with the girl, Harris also provided his cellular = telephone=20 number in several ads for this purpose. Harris, co-conspirator Richard = Johnson=20 and other co-conspirators shared in the prostitution earnings of this = young=20 woman, as well as other girls who worked for them. Harris spent his = earnings on=20 illegal narcotics, jewelry, clothes and gold teeth.

Harris, Johnson and their co-conspirators = used=20 Craigslist, MySpace, YouTube, and other web-based social networking and=20 classified advertising services, as well as cellular telephones, to = recruit=20 females to serve as prostitutes, to promote their prostitution business, = and to=20 advertise sexual services. Harris assisted his co-conspirators in = obtaining=20 prepaid debit cards to pay for ads posted on Craigslist for sexual = services, in=20 order to conceal their unlawful activities. When Harris traveled to = Maryland=20 from Ohio, he also brought an illegally obtained 9 mm Luger handgun with = .380=20 ammunition. Harris understood that part of his role with regard to = managing the=20 brothel might entail confronting and threatening sex customers, and that = this=20 could be accomplished by brandishing his firearm. At some point between=20 approximately February and April 2009, a co-conspirator did, in fact, = brandish=20 Harris=E2=80=99 firearm at a sex customer when a dispute over payment = arose.

Beyond the threat and presence of firearms, = the=20 conspirators used threats and actual physical violence against female = sex=20 workers. On one occasion, Harris watched one of his co-conspirators = beating a=20 female sex worker when she refused to continue prostituting and did not=20 intervene. On a different occasion, Harris physically assaulted the = young woman=20 he brought from Ohio when she refused to share her prostitution = earnings. Harris=20 also repeatedly threatened her over the sharing of her earnings.

Also according to the plea agreement, from = at least=20 January 2009 through September 2009, Harris, Johnson and their = conspirators=20 distributed illegal narcotics to associates, prostitutes, sex and drug = customers=20 and others, both inside and outside of Maryland. On at least one = occasion,=20 Harris went to Detroit, Michigan with a co-conspirator to purchase = illegal=20 narcotics. While in Detroit, Harris and the co-conspirator purchased and = split=20 approximately 200 Ecstasy and/or BZP pills, which they later distributed = in Ohio=20 and Maryland. After his federal incarceration in September 2009, Harris=20 contacted and attempted to contact numerous potential witnesses, = directly and=20 through third parties, in order to influence the witnesses to change = their=20 statements.

Harris faces a maximum sentence of: life in = prison=20 and a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison for sex trafficking by = force; five=20 years in prison for the prostitution conspiracy; 10 years in prison for=20 transportation for prostitution; 20 years in prison for enticement; and = 20 years=20 in prison for the drug conspiracy. U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz = scheduled his sentencing for February 16, 2010 at 9:15 a.m.

Richard Johnson, age 22, of Chillicothe, = Ohio,=20 pleaded guilty on December 3, 2009, to the same charges and is scheduled = to be=20 sentenced on 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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