A Cambridge man is facing sweeping federal sex trafficking charges after a Boston grand jury indicted him Tuesday. Prosecutors say Daniel Rodriguez, 36, forced four women into commercial sex and tried to recruit a fifth, including one victim who was a minor when she was first targeted.
Indictment and charges
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston says a grand jury returned an indictment charging Rodriguez with one count of sex trafficking of a minor, four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, one count of attempted sex trafficking, and one count of knowingly persuading and inducing a person to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution. Prosecutors allege the conduct stretched from 2018 through January 2026 and involved travel to Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, New Jersey, Connecticut and Maine, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Chase, crash and arrest
According to publicly filed court records and news reports, Rodriguez was arrested after a high-speed chase on Jan. 13 in Randolph that ended when his vehicle crashed with an alleged victim inside, and he then ran off on foot. The woman was taken to a hospital for treatment and, filings state, was advertised for commercial sex again within hours of being discharged. Those details were described in reporting by The Boston Globe.
Defense's response
Rodriguez’s attorney, Joe Resnek, pushed back hard on the federal allegations. In an email he said, "my client adamantly denies all allegations against him." Resnek also told reporters that "the Government’s case rests entirely on the testimony of untrustworthy people," according to The Boston Globe.
Penalties prosecutors cite
Prosecutors say the charges carry steep potential sentences. Each sex trafficking count by force, fraud or coercion has a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a possible maximum of life. The sex trafficking of a minor charge carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison. The count alleging that Rodriguez coerced a person to travel for purposes of prostitution provides for up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $250,000, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
What’s next
Rodriguez remains in state custody on related charges, according to authorities, and is expected to be arraigned in federal court in Boston in the coming weeks. Hoodline first reported on the initial federal complaint in January, see earlier federal complaint details for prior coverage of the case.
Resources for victims
The U.S. Attorney’s Office included a contact for victim assistance in its announcement: [email protected]. The office said Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Riley and Craig Estes of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit are prosecuting the case.
