Tampa, FL – ;AWFUEL – Law News Network – United States Attorney Paul I. Perez announced that on September
18, 2006, District Judge James D. Whittemore sentenced three defendants for their roles in the operation and management of houses of prostitution in the Tampa Bay area. Judge Whittemore sentenced WESILANDY CEBALLOS to a term of
imprisonment of 30 months, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
CEBALLOS pled guilty on May 30, 2006 to a charge of conspiring to persuade and entice persons to travel in interstate commerce in order to facilitate the crime of prostitution. Judge Whittemore sentenced RUDI CABRERA to a term of imprisonment of 24 months, to be followed by three years of supervised release. CABRERA entered his plea of guilty to the same charge on May 30, 2006.
In a related case, Judge Whittemore sentenced ANGEL DARIO BATISTA to a term of 15 months’ imprsionment, to be followed by three years on supervised release.
BATISTA pled guilty to a conspiracy charge on June 6, 2006.
According to court documents, the defendants were involved in the operation of different houses of prostitution in the Tampa Bay area between mid 2004 and October 2005. These houses of prostitution, sometimes called “21 house”s catered to Hispanic clients and utilized the services of mostly Hispanic women who worked there as prostitutes.
Many of these women came to the Tampa Bay area from other states or from outside of the United States. Many of the prostitutes were illegal aliens.
This case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Immigration and
Customs Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney
ay L. Hoffer of the Tampa Division.
