Additional Sex Trafficking Charges Filed Against Allentown Man

PHILADELPHIA - A superseding indictment was filed May 14, 2015 charging Corderro Cody, 27, of Allentown, PA, four additional counts, three additional counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, or attempt, and one count of sex trafficking of a minor.  Cody was originally indicted on October 30, 2014, on charges of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and conspiracy to transport individuals both intrastate and interstate for the purpose of prostitution.

The superseding indictment alleges that Cody recruited women to work as prostitutes, referred to his prostitution business as the “program,” and advertised the women on Backpage.com.  The women were sometimes driven to other states and forced to perform sexual acts.  Cody recovered and kept most, if not all, of the money generated by the sexual acts, and used physical force in the form of beatings when the women did not adhere to the “program,” and to maintain the women performing commercial sexual acts.

If convicted, the defendant faces a a mandatory minimum prison term of 15 years up to a maximum of life, a fine of up to $2.5 million, a mandatory minimum five years supervised release up to lifetime supervised release, and a $1,000 special assessment.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Allentown Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sherri A. Stephan, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

An Indictment is an accusation.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.