SCRANTON - The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a federal grand jury in Scranton returned a superseding indictment on Nov. 15, charging Thurman Stanley, 39, of East Stroudsburg, with four new counts of sex trafficking by force and coercion, two new counts of attempted sex trafficking, and a new drug trafficking charge, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force and coercion, and three counts of interstate transportation of others for purposes of prostitution.

According to U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the superseding indictment alleges that Stanley forced and coerced several females to engage in prostitution in Monroe County and elsewhere, transported females from Pennsylvania to New York, Iowa and North Dakota to engage in prostitution, and trafficked in illegal drugs.The superseding indictment alleges that Stanley and his co-conspirators used social network sites to recruit females for prostitution; used cellphones to post ads on adult escort websites to solicit customers; rented hotel and motel rooms in Monroe County and elsewhere for purposes of prostitution; provided heroin and other illegal drugs to the prostitutes; and used force, threats and coercion to carry out prostitution activities. The indictment alleges that the conduct occurred between December 2013 and December 2015.If convicted of the charges, Stanley faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a potential maximum sentence of life in prison for each of the sex trafficking charges, up to 10 years in prison on each of the interstate prostitution charges, and up to 20 years in prison on the drug trafficking charge.The case was investigated by the FBI; the Pennsylvania State Police; and Bismarck, North Dakota, detectives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.