Six people were arrested Wednesday on a federal grand jury indictment for crimes committed in connection with transporting illegal aliens from New Jersey and New York to Maryland to engage in prostitution and sexual activity, and harboring the aliens for financial gain

“The indictment alleges that the defendants ran a prostitution ring in which many of the prostitutes were illegal aliens who ‘worked’ in Maryland during the week and visited their homes in New York and New Jersey on Sunday nights. People who run such criminal enterprises, people who work for them, and people who aid and abet them are subject to federal prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein

 

The two-count indictment charges Elsy Aparicio, 43; Eliazor Gonzalez Aparicio, 29, Dorinalda Aparicio, age 34, and their mother, Olinda Aparicio, 64; all of Gaithersburg; Jair Francis, 32, of Wheaton; and Manuel Jandres, 38, of Germantown, with conspiring to: in Count One, transport individuals in interstate commerce with the intent that such individuals engage in prostitution and sexual activity; and in Count Two, conceal and harbor illegal aliens from detection.

 

Specifically, the indictment alleges that beginning at least in February 2004 to July 2005,

 

Elsy Aparicio, Eliazor Aparicio, Dorinalda Aparicio, Olinda Aparicio and Manuel Jandres conspired to employ prostitutes, the vast majority of whom were aliens unlawfully present in the United States.

 

These defendants allegedly rented apartments and/or purchased homes in Maryland where they operated places of prostitution, including:

2217 Shorefield Court, Apartment 513, Wheaton;

444 North Summit Avenue, Apartment 202, Gaithersburg;

56 West Deer Park Road, Apartment T-3, Gaithersburg;

28266 New Hampshire Avenue, Hyattsville;

18 Whetstone Drive, Apartment 1, Gaithersburg;

488 West Deer Park Road, Gaithersburg(residence);

19325 Frederick Road, Germantown;

17720 Towne Crest Drive, Apartment 103, Gaithersburg; and

8 Whetstone Drive, Apartment 4, Gaithersburg.

These defendants arranged for the transport of women from various locations in New York and New Jersey to Maryland, typically on Monday mornings, with the intent that these women engage in prostitution. They arranged to transport the women back to New York and New Jersey, typically on Sunday evenings.

 

The indictment further alleges that Elsy Aparicio, Eliazor Aparicio and Olinda Aparicio paid Jair Francis for information about law enforcement activity related to their prostitution business.

 

Francis is alleged to have provided information to these defendants concerning law enforcement inquiries about prostitution businesses at the Georgian Woods Apartments in Wheaton.

 

Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison followed by 3 years of

 

supervised release for conspiracy to transport the aliens for prostitution purposes. Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens for financial gain. The defendants had their initial appearances at 1 p.m. Wednesday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jillyn K. Schul