HARRISBURG, PA(WPMT) A federal grand jury in Harrisburg indicts six men, five from Chambersburg and one from Harrisburg, as part of an investigation of an alleged sex trafficking ring operating in six states and the District of Columbia.
The indictment, filed on March 11 and unsealed this week, charges Albert E. “Pipo” Martinez, age 34, of Chambersburg, Anthony “Tony” D’Ambrosio, age 34, of Chambersburg, Antonio ”Tony” Delgado, age 18, of Chambersburg, Armando Delgado, age 20, of Chambersburg and Keanu Martinez, age 19, of Chambersburg, with sex trafficking of minors, transportation to engage in prostitution, distribution of controlled substances, and conspiracy. Brandon Hill, age 28, of Harrisburg, is charged with conspiracy and drug distribution.
Martinez and his co-conspirators allegedly recruited and transported females between the ages of 13 and 18 years old to engage in commercial sex acts in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Florida, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia. Martinez and the others allegedly rented motel rooms and posted “escort” advertisements and photographs on a website from July 2012 through January 2015. The conspirators allegedly took most of the money made during the course of the prostitution business, and distributed drugs to the women, including oxycodone, cocaine hydrochloride and heroin.
Martinez has been incarcerated on an initial indictment since January 15, 2015 and is scheduled for an arraignment on the March 11 indictment on March 26, 2015.
D’Ambrosio, the Delgados, Martinez and Hill were arrested last week by the FBI agents, with the assistance of the Chambersburg Police Department, the Franklin County Drug Task Force and Harrisburg City Police. The five men are being held pending which is set for May.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment on the offenses involving a minor, as well as a $250,000 fine. Each defendant faces up to 20 years’ incarceration and a $1,000,000 fine if convicted of the drug trafficking offenses.