Hudson Valley Police Officer Indicted In Sex Trafficking Scheme

NEW YORK — A Brewster police officer is one of six people accused in a scheme involving sex trafficking, extortion, bribery and international conspiracy. A 14-count indictment was unsealed Tuesday in federal court in Brooklyn.

Officer Wayne Peiffer was arrested Tuesday at his home in Ulster County.

The charges relate to the operation of two sex trafficking and prostitution organizations — the Cid-Hernandez Sex Trafficking Organization and the Godinez Prostitution Business — and the alleged years-long bribery of Peiffer, who prosecutors said accepted free sexual services from the two organizations in exchange for protecting the organizations from detection and arrest.

“Our arrest of a police officer isn't the most egregious facet of this investigation. We allege Mr. Peiffer had sex with the girls being trafficked as payment for his protection of the traffickers," said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael J. Driscoll.

The six were part of an elaborate international network, said HSI Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Ricky J. Patel.

Members of the organization pressured the victims to travel to the United States with false promises of employment and a better life. Once smuggled from Mexico, the young women and minor girls were transported to prostitution clients throughout the State of New York.

Since May 2002, prosecutors alleged, members of the Queens-based Cid-Hernandez Sex Trafficking Organization used force, threats of force, fraud and coercion to cause young women and minor girls to engage in prostitution.

Prosecutors said the Godinez Prostitution Business regularly caused women to be transported from Queens to various locations for prostitution. Noe Godinez worked as a driver and transported women along preassigned routes to clients.

Both the Cid-Hernandez Sex Trafficking Organization and the Godinez Prostitution Business operated in Brewster, where they received protection from Peiffer, prosecutors alleged.

Peiffer has been a police officer with the Village of Brewster Police Department since 2006, prosecutors said.

They alleged that for more than eight years, Peiffer directed members of the Cid-Hernandez Sex Trafficking Organization and the Godinez Prostitution Business to deliver women to him, including at the police station, for free sex. In exchange, he provided the Cid-Hernandez Sex Trafficking Organization and the Godinez Prostitution Business protection from arrest, including by advanced warning of law enforcement operations and intervening to prevent arrest.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, thanked the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, Putnam County District Attorney’s Office and Westchester Putnam County Real Time Crime Center for their assistance

"This case involved true collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement partners to bring the hierarchy of this trafficking organization to justice," he said.

The Defendants:

LUZ ELVIRA CARDONA
Age: 33
Queens, New York

ROBERTO CESAR CID DOMINGUEZ
Age: 54
Queens, New York

CRISTIAN NOE GODINEZ
Age: 42
Queens, New York

BLANCA HERNANDEZ MORALES
Age: 51
Queens, New York

JOSE FACUNDO ZARATE MORALS
Age: 32
Queens, New York

WAYNE PEIFFER
Age: 48
Highland, New York

All but Godinez were scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho.