Allentown Man Pleads Guilty In Sex Trafficking Case

PHILADELPHIA - Corderro Cody, 28, of Allentown, PA, pleaded guilty today to charges related to his running of a sex trafficking operation.  Cody pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, 12 counts of sex trafficking, conspiracy to transport individuals across state lines for the purpose of prostitution, and one count of sex trafficking of a minor.   

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.

United States District Court Judge Edward G. Smith scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 29, 2016.  Cody faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 15 years up to a maximum of life, a fine of up to $3.75 million, a mandatory minimum of five years of supervised release up to lifetime supervised release, and a $1,500 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.