Routine Traffic Stop Turns Into Human Trafficking and Drug Charges

When police in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania made a routine traffic stop along Interstate 81, they likely never would have guessed what awaited them. According to police, the vehicle contained several thousand baggies of heroin, as well as four teenage girls being trafficked by two adults in the vehicle.

The vehicle was originally pulled over for a simple traffic violation. When the officer who made the stop became suspicious of the behavior of the driver, 21-year-old Roniece Norfleet of Pittsburgh, and the passenger, a 40-year-old from Clairton named Robert Middlebrook, an investigation of the vehicle ensued. In addition to finding the heroin, the officers found four girls (16 and 17 years old) who told the officers that they were being forced to perform sex acts for money by Middlebrook.

According to the girls, they had been taken throughout Ohio and Pittsburgh to perform sexual acts. Therefore, in addition to a charge of possession of narcotics with intent to deliver, Middlebrook was also charged with four felony charges of human trafficking. Norfleet also received a charge of possession of narcotics with intent to deliver.

Whenever you are charged with a crime, whether it’s a misdemeanor or a felony, it’s important that you get in touch with an attorney as soon as possible before saying anything to police. If you hope to avoid the harshest sentences in your case, your silence could be of the utmost importance. Additionally, never consent to searches of your home or vehicle if asked by law enforcement officers if they do not have a valid warrant to present to you.

To secure the legal assistance you need, work with Reading criminal law attorney David R. Eshelman.