A federal grand jury this week returned a superseding indictment charging eight individuals with 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 six-count indictment charges the following group with conspiring to transport individuals in interstate commerce with the intent that such individuals engage in prostitution and sexual activity; and conceal and harbor illegal aliens from detection: Elsy Aparicio, 43; Eliazor Gonzalez Aparicio, 29, Dorinalda Aparicio, 34, and their mother, Olinda Aparicio, 64; all of Gaithersburg; Jair Francis, 32, of Wheaton; Rigo Diaz, 31, of Gaithersburg; Manuel Jandres, 38, and his wife Rosibel Aparacio Jandres, 44, both of Germantown.
The indictment alleges that beginning at least in February 2004 to July 2005, the defendants conspired to employ prostitutes, the vast majority of whom were illegal aliens. The defendants allegedly rented apartments and/or purchased homes in Maryland where they operated places of prostitution, and arranged to transport 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 three of the Aparicios 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.
The new counts in the indictment allege that some of the group conspired to and committed money laundering by using the proceeds of the prostitution ring to purchase vehicles used in the transportation of the women, knowing that the purchases were designed to conceal the source of the funds. Others are charged because they purchased property using the proceeds of the prostitution ring and sold property bought with the illegal funds, in order to conceal the source of the funds.
The indictment further alleges that Jair Francis used the name and social security number of another person to lease in that person’s name, without that person’s permission, an apartment that was used as a place of prostitution, as part of the conspiracy to harbor an alien for financial gain.
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.
Elsy Aparicio, Manuel Jandres, Rigo Diaz and Rosibel Aparicio Jandres face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine on the money laundering conspiracy charge. Additionally, Elsy Aparicio and Rigo Diaz face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine on one of the money laundering charges.
Manuel Jandres and Rosibel Aparicio Jandres faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the other money laundering charge. Jair Francis faces a minimum mandatory two years in prison consecutive to any sentence on the harboring conspiracy charge, and a $250,000 fine for aggravated identity theft.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Inte