Two more Chambersburg men found guilty in sex trafficking ring

HARRISBURG -- Four Chambersburg men have been convicted for their parts in a sex trafficking business that spanned six states and Washington, D.C. 

Anthony “Tony” D’Ambrosio, 35, of Chambersburg and Armando Delgado, 21, of Chambersburg were convicted on Monday, Dec. 18, on all charges:

• Sex trafficking of children.
• Conspiracy to transport any individual to engage in prostitution
• Transportation of any individual to engage in prostitution
• Conspiracy to transport a minor to engage in prostitution.
• Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute oxycodone, cocaine and marijuana.
• Distribution and possession with the intent to distribute oxycodone. 

A jury in the U.S. Middle District Court of Pennsylvania returned with the verdict of guilty after about three hours of deliberation, according to United States Attorney David J. Freed. The trial lasted two weeks.

D’Ambrosio, Delgado and their co-conspirators recruited and transported girls and young women between the ages of 13 and 21 years old to engage in commercial sex acts in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Florida, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia and frequently paid them in drugs.

The conspiracy began around July 2012 and continued to January 2015, according to Freed.  D’Ambrosio, Delgado and the others rented motel rooms and posted “escort” advertisements and photographs on backpage.com from July 2012 through January 2015.  D’Ambrosio and the others would take the majority of the money made during the course of the prostitution business, and distributed various drugs to the women, including oxycodone, cocaine and marijuana. 

Chief U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner remanded D’Ambrosio to the custody of the U.S. Marshals, at the request of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  Delgado has been incarcerated on the superseding indictment since March 12, 2015. The judge will impose sentences after considering federal sentencing statutes and guidelines.

Three co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty for their roles:

• Albert E. “Pipo” Martinez, 35, of Chambersburg pleaded guilty on March 31, 2016, to all charges, which included sex trafficking of children.
• Keanu Martinez, 21-year-old son of Albert Martinez of Chambersburg, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017, to one count of transporting minors to engage in prostitution. A sentencing date has not been set for either Martinez yet.
• Brandon Hill, age 30, of Harrisburg also pleaded guilty to drug trafficking counts and received a 37-month sentence.  

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith A. Taylor and Scott Ford prosecuted the case.

The maximum penalty for the sex trafficking offenses is life imprisonment and includes a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. The maximum prison sentence for the drug trafficking offenses is 20 years.

The statutory maximum penalty for the offense does not accurately indicate the potential sentence for a specific defendant. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the judge is required to consider and weigh a number of factors -- including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education click on the tab "resources."