J-S78023-18 NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37 COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA : v. : : : JOHN C. GUERRA : : Appellant : No. 3438 EDA 2017 Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence Entered May 4, 2017 In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Criminal Division at No(s): CP-51-CR-0011956-2014 BEFORE: LAZARUS, J., McLAUGHLIN, J., and STEVENS*, P.J.E. MEMORANDUM BY McLAUGHLIN, J.: FILED APRIL 08, 2019 John C. Guerra appeals from the judgment of sentence entered following his convictions for numerous charges relating to his running a prostitution ring involving adult women and a minor. Guerra argues the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to support the convictions, that the trial court abused its discretion in allowing the Commonwealth to admit certain evidence, and that the court abused its discretion in sentencing Guerra. We affirm. In December 2010, the Commonwealth filed charges against Guerra. He evaded arrest until his apprehension in August 2014. Guerra waived his right to a jury trial, and proceeded to a bench trial in June 2016. The trial court thoroughly recounted the evidence presented at Guerra’s bench trial. See Trial Court Opinion, filed 4/11/18, at 1-7. In short, the Commonwealth presented evidence that between 2008 and 2010, Guerra recruited young women to work for him as prostitutes, and assisted them in ______________________________________ * Former Justice specially assigned to the Superior Court. J-S78023-18 posting advertisements online to solicit customers for sex. He also provided cell phones for the women to use to contact customers, and hotel rooms; received money the customers paid the women in exchange for sex; and provided the women with drugs and money. Guerra knew the women were addicted to drugs, and he supplied them with large amounts of crack cocaine and heroin. He made the women work for days at a time without sleep, used violence and sexual violence to keep them from leaving or withholding money, and prohibited them from seeking medical attention. Several other men assisted Guerra, including Elton Cromwell, Eddie Mendez, and Dwayne Thomas. Three victims, M.S., T.W., and A.H., testified at trial. Of note, A.H. testified that she was a minor when she began working for Guerra, and that when Cromwell and Guerra discovered she was a minor, she stayed at Guerra’s family home until Guerra made the decision that she would continue working. A.H. also testified that Cromwell went to her parents’ house after charges were filed against him, and that this made her feel scared. The Commonwealth also presented the testimony of Detective Derrick Stigerts, whom the Commonwealth offered as an expert in human trafficking, and Trooper Michael Peterson. Trooper Peterson testified that during the course of his investigation, he viewed the contents of a laptop found at the hotel where A.H. was found, which contained images and advertisements, some of which were introduced into evidence. Trooper Peterson said he interviewed five women who had worked for Guerra in two different hotel -2- J-S78023-18 rooms, including M.S., ...
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