Central Islip, NY - April 13, 2018 - Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini yesterday announced the indictment of a brother and sister in connection with operating a sex trafficking ring in Suffolk County.
Anthony Cordero, 30, of West Babylon, and Demaris Cordero, 31, of Dix Hills, were arraigned yesterday and charged with two counts of Sex Trafficking; Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree; Promoting Prostitution in the Third Degree; Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree; and Promoting Prostitution in the Fourth Degree. Mr. Cordero is also charged with Unlawful Possession of Marijuana and Operating a Motor Vehicle with Obstructed Vision.
On February 24, 2018, the Suffolk County Police Department conducted a traffic stop in Deer Park of Mr. Cordero’s vehicle for illegally driving with an obstructed view. The vehicle was also occupied by two individuals who were later determined to be victims of sex trafficking who were being driven to a location to engage in prostitution.
Officers detected the scent of marijuana and conducted a search of the vehicle, at which time they discovered a quantity of marijuana in the ashtray. Quantities of alleged crack cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and Suboxone were recovered from the two victims, one of whom indicated she was holding the drugs for Mr. Cordero.
“The defendant stated to police, ‘Who’s going to believe these women anyway?’” My response to that is, ‘We are,’” District Attorney Sini said. “The District Attorney’s Office is here to treat victims of sex trafficking as victims, to provide them with services, and to bring their perpetrators to justice.”
An investigation was conducted by the Suffolk County Police Department’s Human Trafficking Investigations Unit, which revealed that Cordero and his sister had been operating a sex trafficking ring in Suffolk County involving at least four victims dating back to at least August 1, 2017.
The defendants conducted the operation in various hotels and motels around Suffolk County, including locations in Commack, East Farmingdale, Port Jefferson Station, and the Medford/Coram area. They posted advertisements for prostitution services on the websites Backpage.com and Craigslist.com.
“The defendants used drugs to induce these women into working for them as sex slaves,” District Attorney Sini said. “They gave them cocaine and heroin, both to impair their judgment and to make them dependent on the defendants so that that they could control these women.”
Mr. Cordero also provided quantities of crack cocaine to Ms. Cordero in exchange for her assistance in the operation of the prostitution business.
The defendants were arraigned on the indictment on April 12 in front of Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho in Central Islip. Bail for Mr. Cordero was set at $500,000 cash or $1 million bond. Bail for Ms. Cordero was set at $100,000 cash or $200,000 bond. They are due back in court on April 25.
If convicted, each defendant faces a minimum of four and one-half to nine years imprisonment and a maximum of 12 and one-half to 25 years.
“These are serious crimes that have devastating, long-lasting impacts on the victims and on our communities,” District Attorney Sini said.
This is the third indictment brought forth by the Human Trafficking Investigations Unit, which was launched by District Attorney Sini in his prior role as Suffolk County Police Commissioner in October 2017.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Stacy Skorupa, of the Enhanced Prosecution Bureau.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.