DENVER — The Department of Justice's (DOJ) District of Colorado announced federal prison sentences for a Colorado couple charged with operating a prostitution ring out of the Denver Tech Center (DTC).
“This prostitution ring operated for years, victimizing dozens of women,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “Protecting vulnerable people and holding predators accountable are core parts of our mission and we are pleased that these two are headed to prison for their crimes.”
DOJ stated the defendants Teresita Rodriguez and Jeramy Caron were sentenced to 15 and 30 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to facilitating prostitution and transporting an individual to facilitate prostitution. Caron also pleaded guilty to money laundering. After their sentences, they will have five years of mandatory parole.
Both are forfeiting more than $390,000 in funds, two vehicles, 20 watches and will have to pay the victims $700,000 in restitution, according to DOJ.
Rodriguez and Caron operated a prostitution ring in the DTC from at least June 25, 2018 to March 10, 2020. The couple recruited adult women from states such as Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana and Utah to travel to Denver in order to provide high-end escort services that included commercial sex acts, said DOJ.
The couple then purchased airline tickets for women to visit for week-long stays, rented hotel rooms and picked up cash payments following the sexual encounters. The advertising and travel costs were subtracted from the women’s profits and Rodriguez and Caron kept half of the proceeds, according to DOJ.
“The FBI and our law enforcement partners have a great responsibility to protect our vulnerable community members from the abhorrent behaviors of human traffickers such as Teresita Rodriguez and Jeramy Caron," said Denver FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. “We are grateful for our collaborative partnerships with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this case as we continue our work to fight human trafficking.”
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