Woman Gets 21-Month Prison Term for Illegal Immigrant Prostitution Ring
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SANTA ANA — A 42-year-old Westminster woman was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for importing illegal immigrants to Orange County and forcing the women to work as prostitutes from a local apartment, authorities said Tuesday.
Kalaya Dolatre, who pleaded guilty Sept. 9 to one count of conspiracy to import illegal immigrants for the purpose of prostitution, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Linda H. McLaughlin, according to Assistant U.S. Atty. David S. Lavine.
Dolatre illegally brought at least eight women from Thailand to a Westminster apartment and forced them to work as prostitutes to pay off about $8,000 in smuggling fees, Lavine said. Dolatre apparently kept 40% of the prostitution fees for herself, he added.
The Westminster Police Department and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service began investigating six months ago when an unidentified person from the Westminster apartment told 911 operators about the prostitution ring and abruptly hung up, authorities said.
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