Sini: Sound Beach man pleads guilty to human trafficking, prostitution ring

A Sound Beach man has pleaded guilty to human trafficking and prostitution charges for running a sex ring out of the basement of his parents' home and coercing victims with heroin and crack cocaine, Suffolk prosecutors said Tuesday.

Raymond Rodio III, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking as a B violent felony, four counts of sex trafficking as a B felony, third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, second-degree promoting prostitution and third-degree promoting prostitution, officials said.

Starting in 2014, Rodio ran a sex-trafficking ring out of his parent’s windowless basement on Lower Rocky Point Road in Sound Beach, and more than 20 victims were identified, said Suffolk District Attorney Timothy Sini in a statement.

A joint investigation by the Suffolk police department's Human Trafficking Investigations Unit and the Suffolk district attorney's Human Trafficking Team found that Rodio would sometimes keep victims in the basement for extended periods “and force them to use a bucket as a toilet because the basement does not have a bathroom,” Sini said.

Rodio forced his female victims, most of whom were Suffolk residents in their 20s, to engage in prostitution at various motels throughout the county and used the allure of crack cocaine and heroin to “impair their judgment,” officials said.

“This is an individual who clearly had no regard for the women he victimized, subjecting them to exploitation, fear and humiliation,” Sini said. “It is our hope that this guilty plea delivers justice for the many survivors of Rodio’s scheme. Let this also serve as a message to other offenders that my office will continue to aggressively target and prosecute human traffickers.”

Rodio’s attorney is Scott Gross of Garden City, according to court records. Gross could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday night.

Suffolk police launched an investigation after officers identified a suspected human trafficking victim during a routine traffic stop in August 2018, officials said. Further investigation revealed the victim had been forced into sex trafficking by Rodio in the spring of that year, officials said.

Rodio’s sentencing is set for March 9 and the court has said the defendant faces a sentence of 9 ½ years prison and five years of post-release supervision. He will have to register as a sex offender upon his release, officials said.