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Russian pimp pleads guilty in sex slave case
By J.M. Lawrence
August 4, 2004
A Russian pimp admitted yesterday to conning women from Estonia into working as
indentured sex slaves in Brighton, giving massages with "a special ending'' to
pay for their flights home.
Roman Valdma, a trim 38-year-old Estonian national who married one of his sex
workers in 2000, pleaded guilty to federal charges including visa fraud and
importing illegal aliens for immoral purposes.
"I broke the law," Valdma told Chief U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young
yesterday.
Seven women were victimized under the scheme dating back to 1999.
"These women didn't know the nature of (Valdma's business) until after they
arrived in the United States," Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Schulman told the
court.
Valdma, who became a U.S. citizen in 2000, was busted last year when one woman
went to police and then secretly taped him talking about erotic massages done
at his Brighton condos at 137 Chiswick Road and 2 Larose Place. Valdma kept $60
from each $100 massage.
The women spoke little English and lived under his control. He threatened they
would be arrested if they left his business and claimed "friends" in the
Russian mafia would find their families back home, according to prosecutors.
Valdma yesterday denied he ever threatened the women but admitted he defrauded
them into coming to Boston by claiming they would perform therapeutic massage."
Under a plea agreement, prosecutors will seek a sentence of three years to 41
months at a Sept. 14 hearing. Valdma also forfeits $80,000 in cash, his 2003
Acura and the Larose condo to the government.
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Korean
woman indicted in alleged sex slave ring
8-4-2004
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