ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Date: May 10, 2016

FOURTEEN MEN CONVICTED OF LOITERING WITH INTENT TO COMMIT PROSTITUTION OR AGREEING TO ENGAGE IN PROSTITUTION

*Conviction details of sex purchasers are featured on the OCDA website

SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) convicted 14 men in March 2016 and April 2016 of unlawfully engaging in lewd and dissolute conduct in a public place and in a place open to the public and exposed to public view, loitering with the intent to commit prostitution, or agreeing to engage in prostitution. The defendants in these cases approached a woman, whom they believed to be a prostitute, or loitered in areas known for prostitution and human trafficking in Orange County. Each of the defendants below agreed to engage, or loitered with the intent to engage, in commercial sex with a woman and were subsequently arrested by law enforcement.

Defendant/Conviction/Sentence

• Martin Maria Degroot, 84, Stanton – Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of loitering with intent to commit prostitution, one misdemeanor count of agreeing to engage in prostitution. Eighty hours of community service, three years informal probation, must submit to AIDS testing and education, and must submit a DNA sample.
• Robert Rodriguez Escandon, 52, Santa Ana – Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of loitering with intent to commit prostitution. Fourteen days of Caltrans in lieu of jail, three years informal probation, must submit a DNA sample, and must submit to AIDS testing and education.
• Miguel Angel Guzman, 29, Stanton – Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of agreeing to engage in prostitution. Ten days of Caltrans in lieu of jail, three years informal probation, and must submit to AIDS testing and education.
• Samier Metlek Hawari, 42, Stanton – Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of agreeing to engage in prostitution. Three months in jail, three years informal probation, and must submit to AIDS testing and education.
• Richard Katsunobu Jonokuchi, 38, Laguna Hills – Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of agreeing to engage in prostitution. Six months in jail, five years informal probation, and must submit to AIDS testing and education.
• Justin Cornell Mosely, 29, Stanton – Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of loitering with intent to commit prostitution, one misdemeanor count of agreeing to engage in prostitution. Ten days of Caltrans in lieu of jail, three years informal probation, and must submit to AIDS testing and education.
• Lam Bao Nguyen, 38, Santa Ana – Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of loitering with intent to commit prostitution. Twenty days of Caltrans in lieu of jail, three years informal probation, and must submit to AIDS testing and education.
• Luis Fajardo Pineda, 43, Stanton – Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of loitering with intent to commit prostitution. Ten days of Caltrans in lieu of jail, three years informal probation, and must submit to AIDS testing and education.
• Federico DeJesus Quintor, 38, Garden Grove – Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of agreeing to engage in prostitution. Ten days of Caltrans in lieu of jail, three years informal probation, and must submit to AIDS testing and education.
• Hipolito Vazquez Rosario, 47, Santa Ana – Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of loitering with intent to commit prostitution. Six months in jail, five years informal probation, and must submit to AIDS testing and education.
• Gabino Sanchez, 37, Garden Grove – Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of unlawfully engaging in lewd and dissolute conduct in a public place and in a place open to the public and exposed to public view, one misdemeanor count of loitering with intent to commit prostitution, one misdemeanor count of agreeing to engage in prostitution. Ten days of Caltrans in lieu of jail, three years informal probation, and must submit to AIDS testing and education.
• Juan Angel Tellezrodriguez, 29, Stanton – Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of agreeing to engage in prostitution. Ten days of Caltrans in lieu of jail, three years informal probation, and must submit to AIDS testing and education.
• Raymond Thomas Andrew Sanchez, 39, Laguna Hills – Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of agreeing to engage in prostitution. Negotiated plea with case #15HF1064 and sentenced to two years in jail.
• Keith Dong Tran, 28, Stanton – Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of loitering with intent to commit prostitution, one misdemeanor count of agreeing to engage in prostitution. Ten days of Caltrans in lieu of jail, three years informal probation, and must submit to AIDS testing and education.

The OCDA posts the booking photos, when available, and conviction details of defendants on the sex purchasers section of the OCDA’s website, which can be found at: http://orangecountyda.org/media/sexpurchasers.asp.

Defendants seeking to be removed from the OCDA website must complete and submit a form available online which can be found under the sex purchasers section of the OCDA website or at this link.

The Garden Grove Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD), and Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) investigated these cases, as well as the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force (OCHTTF). Members of the OCHTTF and the OCDA work proactively to protect women and minors from falling victim to commercial sexual exploitation. OCHTTF is a partnership between the Anaheim Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Huntington Beach Police Department, Irvine Police Department, OCDA, OCSD, SAPD, and community and non-profit partners.

Deputy District Attorney Jim Bilek of the HEAT Unit prosecuted these cases.

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TONY RACKAUCKAS, District Attorney

Susan Kang Schroeder, Chief of Staff
Office: 714-347-8408
Cell: 714-292-2718