Manhattan prosecutors say a New York State corrections supervisor and her partner were not just breaking the rules, they were allegedly running a prostitution operation that trafficked at least one child and involved a gunpoint robbery.
On April 7, 2026, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced an indictment charging 39-year-old Deanna DiCastro and 38-year-old Gillam Cordero with a scheme prosecutors say stretched from October 2025 into January 2026. According to the filing, the alleged operation reached across Manhattan, the Bronx, and areas near Rome and Utica upstate. The investigation is ongoing, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until prosecutors prove the charges in court.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg detailed the case in a press release from his office. According to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, DiCastro, identified as an employee of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and Cordero are charged with Sex Trafficking of a Child, Robbery in the First Degree, and Promoting Prostitution in the Third Degree for alleged conduct between October 2025 and January 2026. The release notes that the indictment was filed in New York State Supreme Court and that the investigation remains active.
How Prosecutors Say The Ring Worked
Prosecutors, in their public statement, did not mince words. They wrote that the charged conduct involved “the trafficking of at least one child,” describing an alleged setup that relied heavily on online advertising and text messages to coordinate prostitution encounters.
The DA’s office says DiCastro created a Megapersonals profile on October 8, 2025, to post advertisements that included an underage girl. According to the release, text messages were allegedly used to direct a child’s movements and to send men to hotel rooms in Manhattan, the Bronx, and upstate locations. Prosecutors further allege that many of the financial proceeds moved through accounts controlled by DiCastro and that a vehicle used to transport women and girls is registered in her name, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors, Partners And Tip Line
Bragg also took the case to social media. On X, he posted a short statement summarizing the indictment and its reach across several boroughs and upstate communities. As shared on D.A. Bragg's X, prosecutors urged anyone with information related to the allegations to call the Human Trafficking Unit at 212‑335‑3400.
The press release states that Assistant District Attorneys John Fuller and Caroline Rowley are leading the prosecution, working under the supervision of the Human Trafficking Unit’s leadership.
Legal Implications
Under New York law, sex trafficking of a child is defined in Penal Law §230.34‑A and treated as a serious felony offense. The statute covers advancing or profiting from the prostitution of someone under 18 and does not require proof that a defendant knew the victim’s age. For the statutory language, see New York Penal Law §230.34‑A.
With the indictment now in the state court system, prosecutors say their work is far from over, and the investigation will continue as the case proceeds. Authorities emphasize that the charges remain allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
