LANCASTER COUNTY — A Lancaster County jury convicted a New Jersey man on 18 charges relating to a human trafficking ring he operated last year, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.
Dominic Roach, 37, was accused of bringing two New Jersey women to Lancaster County, where they performed sex acts for money in numerous hotels around the county. The profits went to Roach, according to testimony at trial.
Roach provided the women with controlled substances and a portion of the profits, so they would continue to work for him.
After a three-day trial, the jury convicted Roach of 15 felony counts and three misdemeanors.
It was the first trial in Lancaster County on charges of trafficking in individuals and involuntary servitude, according to Assistant District Attorney Karen Mansfield, who won the conviction.
Roach will be sentenced on Nov. 20.
Mansfield presented testimony from police, personnel at a hotel, and an individual with information about the operation.
Also, the jury saw text-message exchanges involving Roach, which outlined some of the conduct.
The jury deliberated for about an hour and 45 minutes before deciding the case.
Among the evidence presented:
- At least seven hotels on and around Route 30 (Lincoln Highway East) were utilized in the operation.
- Those room rentals totaled over $26,000.
- A vehicle was rented weekly so Roach could travel from New Jersey to Lancaster County to collect the payments.
- Roach received half of the payments, and he made the women pay half of the hotel fees and for the drugs he supplied them.
- When Roach was arrested, he had $1,073 cash and a credit card belonging to one of the victims.
Roach did not testify.
