A federal grand jury has indicted a Millersville, Maryland man and three conspirators from Ohio on charges of running a sex trafficking business from an apartment in Millersville, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. The indictment was returned on September 24, 2009 and unsealed today upon the arrest of the defendants. The indictment calls for the forfeiture of all property used in the commission of the crimes, including financial proceeds and a 2006 Chrysler 300 registered in Ohio.
“This case demonstrates the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force’s policy of zero tolerance for child prostitution,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “Anyone who profits from sex with children should be on notice that law enforcement agents and prosecutors are standing by to send them to federal prison. Our goal is to prosecute the perpetrators and seize all profits generated by the criminal activity.”
According to the indictment, Craig Allen Corey II, age 23, a resident at Fort George G. Meade Army installation in Anne Arundel County, is a private first class with the U.S. Army. From January to April, 2009, the indictment alleges that Corey conspired with Ohio residents Robert Harris, age 21, Richard Johnson, age 22 and Jacob Tyler, age 22, to operate a prostitution business at Corey’s former Millersville, Maryland apartment. The defendants are alleged to have used online classified ads and social networking websites to recruit females for prostitution and to advertise sexual services. They allegedly arranged for the travel of females, including one girl who was 16-years-old, from Ohio to Maryland to engage in prostitution. The defendants allegedly shared the cash proceeds of the prostitution and used the profits to purchase illegal drugs including ecstasy, which they then distributed to associates, prostitutes and customers.
Tyler is also alleged to have used a gun in a threatening manner against a sex customer and Harris allegedly assaulted an 18 year old female who had been brought from Ohio to Maryland to work as a prostitute.
All of the defendants face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the prostitution conspiracy, 10 years in prison for transportation for prostitution, 20 years in prison for enticement and 20 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute ecstasy and BZP. Corey, Harris and Johnson also face a maximum sentence of life in prison for sex trafficking by force. Corey also faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for sex trafficking of a minor, 20 years in prison for distribution of child pornography and 20 years in prison for distribution of BZP. Corey is scheduled to have his initial appearance in federal court in Baltimore today at 2:00 p.m. Harris, Johnson and Tyler will have their initial appearances in federal court in Columbus, Ohio before their removal to Maryland.