Roxbury Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Human Trafficking

PROVIDENCE, RI — Kedwin Vargas, 26, of Roxbury, Mass., was sentenced Friday in Providence federal court to 60 months in federal prison for trafficking a female from Massachusetts to Rhode Island for the purpose of prostitution. According to the U.S. Attorney's office in Providence, he pleaded guilty on Dec. 8 to transportation with the intent to prostitute. At that time, he admitted he met a female he knew to be engaged in prostitution sometime between January 2015 and March 2016. He did drive her from Massachusetts to appointments with customers in Rhode Island; hold cash she collected from her prostitution activities; and profited directly and indirectly from her activity.

A co-defendant in this matter, Rene Anthony Laureano, 31, also of Roxbury, was sentenced on June 21, to 24 months in federal prison. Laureano pleaded guilty on March 7, 2017, to transportation with the intent to prostitute.

At the Vargas sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also ordered Vargas to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his prison term. He has been in federal custody since his arrest on May 19.

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