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Crime Scene
Posted at 05:56 PM ET, 11/01/2011

Man admits transporting prostitutes in Maryland

An undocumented immigrant from El Salvador Tuesday pleaded guilty in federal court in Baltimore to driving prostitutes to brothels in Annapolis and Easton, authorities said.

Jose Antonio Reyes-Maradiaga, 28, pleaded guilty to before U.S. District Judge Benson Everett Legg.

According to a statement of facts that is part of Reyes’s guilty plea, law enforcement officers observed Reyes numerous times between June 2010 and November 2010 driving or riding in vehicles used to transport prostitutes to brothels in Annapolis and Easton.

On June 28, 2010, Reyes was stopped by police while driving a vehicle, according to the statement of facts. Reyes had no driver’s license and was taken to a police station for questioning. Reyes was found to be carrying, among other items, two packs of condoms, two cell phones, and $723.76 in cash.

One of the cell phones was used by a brothel in Annapolis, according to the statement of facts.

The guilty plea was announced by Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein; Chief Michael Pristoop of the Annapolis Police Department; and William Winter, special agent-in-charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations.

The investigation was conducted by the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The group was formed in 2007 help victims of human trafficking and arrest offenders.

Reyes faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, authorities said. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 11.

By  |  05:56 PM ET, 11/01/2011

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