SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Faizal Bhimani, age 41, of Bartonsville, Pennsylvania, and Om Sri Sai, Inc., doing business as a hotel operator in Bartonsville, Pennsylvania, were indicted on Oct. 24, 2017, by a federal grand jury on sex and drug trafficking charges. The case was unsealed yesterday following the arrest of Bhimani.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that from June 2014 to present, Bhimani, the manager of a hotel in Bartonsville, along with Om Sri Sai, Inc., facilitated and profited from drug trafficking and commercial sex induced by force, fraud, and coercion.
The government is also seeking forfeiture of all assets including real property, and the liquor license of the hotel.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Stroud Regional Police Department, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
