Source: United States Department of Justice News
Baltimore, Maryland – Adolph Scott, age 37, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to transporting an individual to engage in prostitution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Chief Gregory J. Der of the Howard County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, from approximately early 2020 to February 3, 2021, Scott traveled with Victim 1 and other females from North Carolina to Maryland to engage in commercial sex acts. As part of his guilty plea Scott agreed that he coerced, threatened, and forced Victim 1 to engage in commercial sex acts for his own benefit.
Throughout the trafficking of Victim 1, Victim 1 was required to give all commercial sex proceeds that she earned to Scott. Additionally, Scott overcharged Victim 1 for the drugs that he bought for her, therefore gaining a profit. Scott was aware that Victim 1 and the accompanying females were highly dependent on heroin and cocaine.
As stated in his plea agreement, on February 2, 2021, law enforcement received a report regarding possible human trafficking at an Elkridge, Maryland hotel. As a result of the report, undercover police surveilled the hotel and responded to a commercial sex advertisement at the motel.
After an undercover agent was solicited for sex by a female in a hotel room and officers saw Scott exit the same hotel room as the soliciting female, officers placed Scott under arrest.
Upon the search of Scott’s person, officers located two cell phones, $428 in cash, and distribution amounts of heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl. Scott agrees that he intended to distribute the controlled substances to Victim 1 and the other females.
As detailed in his plea agreement, a state search warrant was obtained to search the contents of Scott’s cell phone. One of the phones was found to be the phone initially used to communicate with undercover detectives in response to the commercial sex advertisement. Additionally, the phone contained text message conversations regarding drug distribution and commercial sex dates at the motel.
A federal search warrant was also obtained to search the contents of Scott’s storage locker in Raleigh, North Carolina. Within the unit, investigators located condoms, lubricant, heroin needles, and documents belonging to Scott, Victim 1, and the other females.
Scott faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for transporting an individual to engage in prostitution and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for July 11, 2022 at 2:30 p.m.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HSI and the Howard County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Setzer who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/human-trafficking and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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