Arrested in Rhode Island and Charged with Travel in Interstate Commerce to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct
Criminal Charges:
Man Arrested by Department of Homeland Security Investigations and RI State Police and charged in United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, Providence, RI for travel in Interstate Commerce to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct and Enticement of a Minor.
Case Overview:
The Department of Homeland Security Investigation and Rhode Island State Police were conducting an online child exploitation investigation. A 46-year-old adult male from New Jersey made contact online with an undercover agent posing as a 14-year-old female. After learning the undercover was underage, the adult male still engaged in sexually provocative communications with the female and formulated a plan to meet in person for sex. The man then flew from New Jersey to Rhode Island. Agents surveilled him land in Providence, RI; rent a car; and then, travel to both a fast-food restaurant and a liquor store where he acquired alcohol. Upon arriving to the hotel where he planned to meet the underage girl for sex, agents placed the man under arrest. Once in custody, he provided a full confession to police, thereby admitting his travels and intent to have sex with the minor. The man was initially charged in U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island with Travel in Interstate Commerce to Engage in Illicit Conduct in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423 (b), (e) and (f) and Enticement of a Minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422 (b). Once arraigned and held without bail, the man and his family retained Federal Criminal Defense Attorney John L. Calcagni III to defend him in this matter.
Case Result:
46 months. Attorney Calcagni joined forces with Attorney John E. MacDonald to form the man’s defense team. Ultimately, Attorneys Calcagni and MacDonald successfully negotiated a pretrial agreement for their client, which called for the dismissal of the Enticement of a Minor charge, which upon conviction, triggered a mandatory minimum jail sentence of 10 years. This provision in the plea agreement was a major victory for the defense. The agreement also called for the man’s guilty plea to Travel in Interstate Commerce to Engage in Illicit Conduct, which provided for no mandatory minimum jail, but a maximum potential exposure of 30 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and supervised release for life. At sentencing, Attorneys Calcagni and MacDonald successfully advocated for a sentence of 46 months followed by five years of supervised release.