Petaluma Man Sentenced For Pimping, Furnishing Minor With Cocaine

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A Petaluma man who pleaded no contest to charges of pimping while armed with a gun and furnishing cocaine to a minor was sentenced Monday in Sonoma County Superior Court to more than 8 years in California state prison, the Sonoma District Attorney's Office said.

The case against 22-year-old Lane Robert Norman stemmed from proactive police work by the Santa Rosa Police Department following an indication in a separate investigation that Norman was pimping, the DA's Office said.

A detective following up on that lead discovered digital evidence, financial records and witnesses that established that both Norman and another man, Jason Lopez-Willis, were pimping and pandering in Sonoma County and elsewhere in the state, prosecutors said.

Lopez-Willis was previously convicted and sentenced in a separate case to 4 years in prison for pimping and pandering based on the same investigation that led to the case against Norman.

In October, Norman pleaded no contest to two separate offenses of pimping, he admitted being armed with a firearm while pimping, and he also pleaded no contest to furnishing a minor with cocaine in exchange for a sentence of 8 years and 4 months in prison at CDCR, the DA's Office said.

Norman’s conviction for furnishing a minor with cocaine was considered a strike offense under California’s Three Strikes Law.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy Sonoma County District Attorney Andrew Lukas and the sentence was handed down by Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Bradford DeMeo.

Detective Tim Raymond of the Santa Rosa Police Department headed the investigation, while the Petaluma Police Department and Alameda County Sheriff's Department conducted some aspects of the investigation.

"Sex trafficking continues in our county and the public is encouraged to speak up and contact law enforcement if they see anything suspicious," Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch said.