An indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Central Islip charging Narendarakuma Dadarwala, his wife Shardaben Dadarwala, their son Jigar Dadarwala, Ashokbhai Patel, and Himanshu, Inc. d/b/a Sayville Motor Lodge with sex trafficking conspiracy.
The Dadarwalas, Patel, and Himanshu, Inc. are also charged with managing a drug premises, and Narendarakuma Dadarwala is charged with distribution of proceeds of prostitution and narcotics businesses. Patel was arrested yesterday in Nebraska and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. The other defendants were arrested this morning and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lee G. Dunst. A fifth co-conspirator remains at large.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Rodney K. Harrison, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), and Raymond A. Tierney, Suffolk County District Attorney, announced the indictment and arrests.
“As alleged, the defendants made the Sayville Motor Lodge a money-making refuge for prostitution and narcotics trafficking, and a blight on the surrounding community,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “With these arrests, we send a clear message that our Office will prosecute those who use motels or any other venue as their base of operations for trafficking human beings and drugs.”
Peace also thanked the United States Marshal Service, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, United States Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations for their assistance.
“We allege the owner and employees of the Sayville Motor Lodge looked the other way when pimps trafficked human beings in their hotel. More egregiously, we allege they took money from those pimps and drug dealers, who beat and abused the women involved in front of them. Other hotel owners who operate in a similar fashion should take heed, we will hold them accountable for their actions in allowing sex trafficking to take place in their establishments. We're asking anyone who is a victim of human trafficking, or believes they know of someone who is, to call us at 1-800-CALL-FBI," stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
“From the outside, the Sayville Motor Lodge appeared to be a typical roadside motel, but in reality, there was far more than just overnight stays occurring there,” stated SCPD Commissioner Harrison. “The owners and employees facilitated sex trafficking and drug sales for financial gain at the expense of women, including a minor. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to stop those who exploit victims of human trafficking and will continue to help these victims receive the services they need to get their lives back on track.”
“These defendants are alleged to have not only knowingly allowed criminal behavior to run rampant at the Motor Inn for years, they also financially benefited from these same illegal activities directly through kickbacks," stated District Attorney Tierney. "Thanks to our partnership with U.S. Attorney Breon Peace and the Suffolk County Police Department, this blight on the community will no longer be open for illicit business.”
As set forth in court filings, the Dadarwalas have owned and operated the Sayville Motor Lodge since approximately 1984. They reside and work at the motel. From 2017 to 2019, Ashokai Patel was employed and also lived there.
The Dadarwalas and Patel facilitated the criminal activity at the Sayville Motor Lodge and profited from the prostitution and narcotics activity that routinely took place there. Specifically, the Dadarwalas and Patel conspired with traffickers. They exercised control over room rentals and booked dates and set room rates for commercial sex. They were aware that women engaged in prostitution, including at least one minor trafficking victim. They warned traffickers and women engaged in prostitution when law enforcement was on the premises and observed traffickers inflict physical violence on their victims and customers. They also financially benefited from the commercial sex activity at the Sayville Motor Lodge. The traffickers, sex workers, and drug dealers at the Sayville Motor Lodge frequently interacted with the staff and called Narendarakuma Dadarwala “Dad” and “Pa” and Shardaben Dadarwala “Mom” and “Ma.”
From approximately 2014 until 2018, an unapprehended co-conspirator allegedly operated his sex trafficking business out of the Sayville Motor Lodge, in coordination with the Dadarwalas and Patel. The co-conspirator trafficked several women out of the motel, including a minor, and routinely subjected the women who worked for him to physical violence. In furtherance of his operation, the co-conspirator kept the women who worked for him addicted to drugs and introduced them to prostitution in exchange for drugs, posted ads on the internet and set rates for commercial sex acts, confiscated proceeds from prostitution, and mentally and physically abused the women and minors who worked for him.
In addition, from 2014 to the present, the Dadarwalas, Patel, and Himanshu, Inc. profited from the narcotics trafficking that was conducted openly on Sayville Motor Lodge property. The defendants allowed customers to freely use drugs, including heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine, in plain view and in motel rooms. Much like the traffickers, drug dealers paid the Sayville defendants for the privilege of selling drugs at the Sayville Motor Lodge. Narendarakuma Dadarwala wired funds from the rental of rooms for prostitution and narcotics trafficking to his son and Patel.
Further, as set forth in the indictment, the government is seeking to forfeit the Sayville Motor Lodge. To ensure the property is preserved for forfeiture, the United States has obtained an order restraining the defendants from transferring, encumbering or operating the Sayville Motor Lodge in violation of law.
If convicted, the defendants each face a minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment on the sex trafficking charge. Jigar Dadarwala, Narendarakuma Dadarwala, Shardaben Dadarwala and Ashokai Patel face up to 20 years for the managing a drug premises charge; and Narendarakuma Dadarwala faces up to 5 years on distribution of proceeds of prostitution and narcotics businesses charge.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Section and Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Catherine M. Mirabile, Samantha S. Alessi and Special Assistant United States Attorney Vanessa McEvoy are in charge of the prosecution. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Morris of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendants in the case are as follows:
JIGAR DADARWALA (also known as “Cobra”)
Age: 44
Sayville, New York
NARENDARAKUMA DADARWALA (also known as “Naren,” “Pa” and “Dad”)
Age: 76
Sayville, New York
SHARDABEN DADARWALA (also known as “Sharda,” “Ma” and “Mom”)
Age: 69
Sayville, New York
ASHOKBHAI PATEL, also known as “BG”
Age: 58
Omaha, Nebraska
