ICYMI: Pair indicted in sex trafficking operation in New York City, Mohawk Valley regions
ROME & UTICA- Authorities say two people have been indicted with orchestrating a prostitution operation and sex trafficking.
In a news announcement from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Deanna DiCastro, 39, and Gilliam Cordero, 38, are both charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment.
These charges include: sex trafficking a child, robbery and promoting prostitution. Investigators say these all stem from crimes allegedly committed in New York City and the Mohawk Valley region between last October and this past January, including the cities of Rome and Utica, NY.
Both suspects were taken into custody by the State Police in Rome on Tuesday morning.
DiCastro and Cordero are both accused of running a prostitution ring that reportedly included the trafficking of at-least one child.
Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing and any helpful tips can be directed to the Human Trafficking Unit: 1-212-335-3400.
As alleged in court documents and statements made on the record in court, the defendants, who have been dating for at least four years, worked together to run a prostitution operation which involved sex trafficking a child and committing at least one gunpoint robbery.
On October 8, 2025, DICASTRO created an account with Megapersonals to post prostitution advertisements of various women and at least one underage girl. Both CORDERO and DICASTRO worked together to arrange prostitution encounters in hotels in Manhattan, as well as in the Bronx and upstate near DICASTRO’s home in Rome, New York.
The defendants used text messages to communicate with the women and girls, and on at least one occasion instructed a child to perform prostitution, including sending various men to her hotel room and ordering her to take certain amounts of money.
On November 16, 2025, DICASTRO identified a person for CORDERO to rob at gunpoint. After DICASTRO passed that person’s information to CORDERO, CORDERO robbed them at gunpoint, threatening to shoot them if they did not give him their belongings.
As further alleged, many of the financial proceeds passed through accounts controlled by DICASTRO, and a vehicle used by CORDERO to transport women and girls is registered to DICASTRO. As a licensed peace officer DICASTRO was able to obtain a firearm license and has ten pistols registered in her name.
Gavel image.
