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MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CRIME & JUSTICE

Who is Edwin Rosseler? Ex-Virginia police chief allegedly protected prostitution ring and paid for sex

The woman testified that she was lured from Costa Rica by a madam to come to Virginia to work as a nanny and high-end escort
UPDATED JAN 16, 2023
Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler has been accused of covering up a sex ring (Fairfax County Police Department)
Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler has been accused of covering up a sex ring (Fairfax County Police Department)

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA: Former police chief of Fairfax County, Virginia, and three other former officers are on trial for intentionally covering up a sex trafficking ring. One of the victims, an illegal immigrant, took the stand and accused them of participating in the prostitution business.

Jane Doe, a Costa Rican citizen, testified against four Faifax officers - former Chief Edwin Roessler; James Baumstark, a former captain who is now deputy chief in Asheville, North Carolina; and officers Michael Barbazette and Jason Mardocco Department for their crimes in assisting all illegal sex work in the county.

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The plaintiff stated that she was brought to the county under false promises by a woman named Hazel Sanchez. She testified that she was offered a job as a nanny or housekeeper and as an escort, but not necessarily to have sex with the client. Sanchez later confiscated Doe's passport and also threatened her family if they ever got in her way. Sanchez was arrested in 2018 for illegal sex trafficking. She also confessed to seizing five passports. Sanchez was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison.

James Baumstark and Jason Mardocco (picture credit /Faxfair Police Department )
James Baumstark (L) and Jason Mardocco (R) were accused by a sex worker of protecting a local sex ring (Faxfair Police Department )

According to the lawsuit, former police Chief Edwin Roessler aided and abetted a human trafficking ring that operated in Northern Virginia until it was uncovered by FBI in 2019. She also alleged that all four officers hired sex workers for themselves and profited from their work. She also said the chief warned Hazel about any investigation or activity against her.

Jane Doe broke down in tears during her testimony against the officers, recalling all the sexual activities Sanchez forced her to engage in; forcing her to have sex 17 times a day and how they were not protected by the country's law enforcement. "They had to protect us," she told one of the officers. "They had to not be the clients. They didn’t have to protect the Hazel's ring." She said

The lawyers for the other side described the accusations against their clients as "preposterous." They also claimed that Roosler and Baumstark were not involved in the sextortion organization.

However, the defendants confessed to hiring sex workers themselves and were also later released because their contacts were found in Sanchez's phone. Hazel Sanchez was allegedly responsible for the entire human trafficking ring, and it was a surprise that she also pleaded guilty.

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