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Nora R.
Dannehy, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut,
announced that STEVEN TANUIS, 28, of New Britain was sentenced
today by United States District Judge Christopher F. Droney in
Hartford to one year and one day of imprisonment, followed by
two years of supervised release, for his involvement in a prostitution
ring. On December
8, 2006, TANUIS pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to use
an interstate facility to promote prostitution, and one count of
violating the Mann Act, which prohibits the transporting of an
individual in interstate or foreign commerce with intent that such
individual engage in prostitution, or in any sexual activity.
According to documents filed with
the Court and statements made in court, between November 2003 and September 2005,
Dennis Paris and Ronald Martinez operated prostitution businesses and used cellular
telephones to promote their businesses by, among other things, making appointments
for customers (“johns”) with their prostitutes (“girls”),
and communicating with their drivers and with each other. Paris and Martinez
concealed their prostitution businesses by calling them “escort services,” which
were then advertised in area newspapers and telephone book yellow pages under
various names. When calls were received from johns, Paris and Martinez
instructed the johns to go to a specific motel room wherein the girls were to
meet them for an “in-call” or instructed the drivers to take the
girls to the johns’ chosen location for an “out-call.” The
girls would then engage in sexual acts with johns in exchange for money, normally
charging between $125 and $300. This payment was either charged on a credit
card or paid in cash.
TANUIS was employed as a driver for
Ronald Martinez’s prostitution business, driving girls to out-calls with
customers, sometimes across state lines. He regularly used cell phones
as part of his duties.
On June 14, 2007, a federal jury found
Paris guilty of four counts of sex-trafficking, including the trafficking of
minors, one count of conspiracy, 13 counts related to the use of interstate facilities
to promote and conduct a prostitution business, and three counts of money laundering. On
August 22, 2006, Martinez pleaded guilty to several charges related to his involvement
in this prostitution conspiracy. Paris and Martinez await sentencing.
Acting U.S. Attorney Dannehy commended
the work of the federal task force that investigated this matter. The task
force consists of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal
Investigation Division, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Hartford
Police Department and the Windsor Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant
United States Attorney James G. Genco and Andrew J. Kline of the Department of
Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
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