10 Indicted For Running Sex Traffic Ring In Braintree, Boston-Area

Ten people allegedly connected to a sex trafficking operation have been indicted, the state's Attorney General's office announced Friday. The suspects, who are from various towns in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, were indicted by a statewide grand jury and will face arraignments in Suffolk, Middlesex and Norfolk Superior Courts. The office's investigation began after the case was referred to them by the Waltham Police Department.

Investigators learned that two of the suspects, Sonya Palic and Charlotte Napolitano , allegedly ran the operation from their home offices in New Hampshire. The two advertised and provided “escort” services in the Northeast — primarily in Massachusetts, but also in New Hampshire and New York — through their website ChloesCompanions.com, which was set up as a front to facilitate commercial sexual activity. The website has since been taken down.

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Authorities allege that about 12 to 15 women were trafficked at any given time using this website, which offered profiles on the women and a calendar of available dates and locations. Palic and Napolitano allegedly arranged for women to meet with men, either for “in-calls” or “out-calls” at hotels, to provide commercial sexual services in exchange for cash. The women allegedly operated in Boston, Braintree, Lexington, Newton and Waltham.

A further investigation revealed that Richard Napolitano, who is Charlotte’s husband, along with Eric Peltak, Caleb Gerry and Anthony DiDomizio allegedly transported victims to these encounters and helped to collect and transport money involved in this trafficking operation. The majority of the money from these encounters went to Palic and Napolitano, which Palic laundered through businesses to perpetuate the daily operations of the criminal enterprise, according to the AG's office.

Further investigation by the AG’s Office revealed that others helped launder the money, and four of the suspects paid Palic for sex while David Johnson allegedly paid her for sex through his company’s payroll checks.

Below are the full charges for all 10 suspects:

Charlotte Napolitano (a.k.a. Red), age 46, of Bedford, NH

• Trafficking Persons for Sexual Servitude (19 counts)
• Deriving Support from Prostitution (19 counts)
• Conspiracy to Traffic Persons for Sexual Servitude (3 counts)

Napolitano will be arraigned in Suffolk, Middlesex and Norfolk Superior Courts at later dates.

Charles Cook, 65, Marblehead

• Conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual servitude (1 count)
• Conspiracy to launder money (1 count)
• Sex for a fee (1 count)

John Vivilecchia, 53, Groveland

• Conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual servitude (1 count)
• Conspiracy to launder money (1 count)
• Sex for a fee (1 count)

David Johnson, 60, Carver

• Money laundering (1 count)
• Conspiracy to launder money (1 count)
• Sex for a fee (1 count)

Eric Simpson, 44, Mendon

• Money laundering (1 count)
• Conspiracy to launder money (1 count)
• Sex for a fee (1 count)

Anthony DiDomizio, 52, Manchester, NH

• Trafficking persons for sexual servitude (3 counts)
• Conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual servitude (1 count)

Caleb Gerry, 23, Gardner

• Trafficking persons for sexual servitude (1 count)
• Conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual servitude (1 count)

Richard Napolitano, 43, Bedford, NH

• Trafficking persons for sexual servitude (1 count)
• Conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual servitude (1 count)

Eric Peltak, 44, Manchester, NH

• Trafficking persons for sexual servitude (3 counts)
• Conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual servitude (1 count)

Cook, Vivilecchia, Johnson, Simpson, DiDomizio, Gerry, Richard Napolitano and Peltak will be arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court at a later date.

Information from the Attorney General's office was used in this story. Arrests and charges mentioned don't imply conviction.

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