Women guilty in migrant workers case

By Amaris Elliott-Engel / The Citizen

Thursday, March 29, 2007 10:13 AM EDT

Last October, the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office announced it had broken up a trio of people involved in the alleged prostitution of migrant farm workers.
Since last fall, two women charged in the case have pleaded guilty to misdemeanors. A male codefendant's case is still pending.

Sheriff's investigators said at the time of their arrests that sexual favors from the workers, some of them from Guatemala, were exchanged for money, and that while workers were preoccupied, money and property were stolen from their residences. The trio also were accused of forcing their way into a migrant worker's residence and holding a man to the floor while money was stolen.

The Cayuga County District Attorney's office is currently presenting to a grand jury the case of Clarence Brown Jr., 54, who is currently being held in Cayuga County Jail and has a last known address of 8668 York Settlement Road, Sodus. Brown was charged by the sheriff's office with the felonies of second-degree robbery, second-degree burglary and fourth-degree promoting prostitution. Brown is not a U.S. citizen and is being held on immigration violations.

Kelly Finnerty, 25, with a last known address of 19 Orchard St., Auburn, was sentenced in Fleming Town Court March 20 to a conditional discharge and a $165 surcharge. Finnerty pleaded guilty at the end of January to the misdemeanors of petit larceny and criminal trespass.

She originally was charged with the felonies of second-degree robbery and second-degree burglary.

Shannon Terwilliger, 25, with a last known address of 19 Orchard St., Auburn, pleaded guilty in Fleming Town Court Jan. 7. to the misdemeanor of petit larceny. Terwilliger was sentenced to 89 days in Cayuga County Jail and $1,500 restitution.

Terwilliger originally was charged with the felonies of second-degree robbery, second-degree burglary and the misdemeanors of petit larceny and fourth-degree promoting prostitution.

The sheriff's office began a 10-month investigation into the case in December 2005 after receiving complaints that migrant workers on farms in Fleming and Scipio were being victimized.

Staff writer Amaris Elliott-Engel can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or at amaris.elliot-engel@lee.net

The Citizens' Say

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There are 1 comment(s)

Unbelievable!!! wrote on Mar 29, 2007 9:19 PM:

" If it wern't for the dismissals of so many crack/controlled substance cases in the county...it would be impossible to believe that people walk on Felony Charges....I think the next 10 month investigation should be on the courts, lawyers and judges in the County. Hopefully that investigation will have better results for the good citizens of Auburn. Thankfully, I'm not one of them. "

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