CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Neptali De La Cruz Hernandez, 32, of New York, New York, appeared in United States District Court in Concord, New Hampshire on Friday and pled guilty to transporting two women in interstate commerce for prostitution, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.
According to court records and statements in court, on April 6, 2016, detectives with the Salem, New Hampshire Police Department responded to a tip regarding possible prostitution activity at a Salem hotel. Upon arriving at the hotel, the detectives conducted an undercover operation, during which they identified two women engaging in prostitution from adjacent hotel rooms. While interviewing the suspects, the detectives observed the defendant, De La Cruz Hernandez, driving erratically in the parking lot before he attempted to flee. They stopped the defendant’s vehicle, and during a subsequent interview, the defendant admitted that he had driven the two women from New York to New Hampshire for the purpose of engaging in prostitution.
De La Cruz Hernandez faces a sentence of up to ten years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000. He is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 19, 2016.
The case was investigated by the Salem, New Hampshire Police Department, in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations in Manchester.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nick Abramson and Georgiana Konesky.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
