Siblings Ran Long Island Trafficking Ring: DA

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY - A brother and sister were arrested on Thursday for operating a sex trafficking ring in Suffolk County, according to District Attorney Tim Sini.

Anthony Cordero, 30, of West Babylon, and Demaris Cordero, 31, of Dix Hills, were both charged with two counts of sex trafficking; fourth degree conspiracy; third degree promoting prostitution; fifth degree conspiracy; and fourth degree promoting prostitution, the DA said.

Anthony is also charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and operating a motor vehicle with obstructed vision.

On Feb. 24, police conducted a traffic stop in Deer Park of Anthony’s vehicle for illegally driving with an obstructed view, the DA said.

There were two people in the car, who were later determined to be victims of sex trafficking, who were being driven to a location to engage in prostitution, the DA said.

Officers detected the scent of marijuana and searched the car, where they discovered a marijuana in the ashtray, the DA said.

In addition, the officer found what was believed to be crack cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and Suboxone on the victims, one of whom indicated she was holding the drugs for Anthony, the DA said.

According to Sini, during the incident Anthony told the police officer, "Who's going to believe those women anyway?"

"My response to that is, ‘We are,’" Sini said. "The District Attorney’s Office is here to treat victims of sex trafficking as victims, to provide them with services, and to bring their perpetrators to justice."

Further investigation revealed that the siblings had been operating a sex trafficking ring in Suffolk County involving at least four victims since at least August 1, 2017, the DA said.

The two conducted the operation in various hotels and motels around Suffolk County, including locations in Commack, East Farmingdale, Port Jefferson Station, and the Medford/Coram area, the DA said.

They posted advertisements for prostitution services on the websites Backpage.com and Craigslist.com.

"The defendants used drugs to induce these women into working for them as sex slaves," Sini said. "They gave them cocaine and heroin, both to impair their judgment and to make them dependent on the defendants so that that they could control these women."

Anthony also provided quantities of crack cocaine to Demaris in exchange for her help in the operation of the prostitution business, according to the DA.

Both were arraigned on Thursday in front of Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho in Central Islip.

Bail for Anthony was set at $500,000 cash or $1 million bond. Bail for Demaris was set at $100,000 cash or $200,000 bond.

They are both due back in court on April 25.

If convicted, they both face a minimum of four to nine years imprisonment and a maximum of 12 to 25 years.

Photo: Suffolk County DA