A 19-year-old woman was sentenced to the three years in prison for pandering while law enforcement officials continue to look for her co-defendant, an alleged pimp accused of human trafficking charges.
Brianna Shawntay Jackson Robinson pleaded guilty to pandering, a felony charge which involves procuring another person for the purposes of prostitution, according to a statement from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.
Robinson was sentenced to three years in state prison on Monday in Judge John McGregor’s Santa Maria courtroom, said Jennifer Karapetian,the deputy district attorney who prosecuted the case.
Robinson, who is from the Bay Area, was arrested March 9 after an 18-year-old victim contacted a human trafficking hotline on the same day, Karapetian said.
Santa Maria police officers responded to the victim’s location, the Santa Maria Greyhound Bus Station, and took Robinson into custody, who was there with the victim, according to authorities.
Robinson’s pandering charges took place at different locations throughout the state, Karapetian said.
The District Attorney’s Office said authorities are still searching for Robinson’s co-defendant, Marcale Emon Alexander, who has been charged with human trafficking and pandering in the case and was allegedly working as a pimp with Robinson.
He is also charged with two separate counts in an unrelated 2014 human trafficking case involving an underage minor, Karapetian said.
Alexander’s charges are alleged to have taken place across California as well as outside the state.
Alexander, who is from the Bakersfield area, remains at large and anyone with information about his whereabouts should contact the Santa Maria Police Department at 805.928.3781, and ask to speak with Detective Michael McGehee.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
