California man sentenced to nine years in prison for trafficking victims in prostitution

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A California man was sentenced today to nine years in prison for coercion and enticement to travel in interstate for prostitution, which involved two adult women.

According to court documents, in August 2023, Demarco Raushi Coney-Jones II, 31, of Merced, coerced a victim to travel from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Alexandria, Virginia, to engage in prostitution. Between Oct. 2 and Oct. 8, 2023, Coney-Jones coerced another victim to travel to Alexandria, this time from California, to engage in prostitution.

Coney-Jones committed part of this offense while detained on charges stemming from his alleged involvement in the theft of jewelry valued at more than $3 million from a sex buyer of one of his trafficking victims. Despite a prior conviction for possessing an unregistered firearm, Coney-Jones possessed a stolen handgun and an AK-47 assault rifle with an obliterated serial number at the time of his arrest.

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the FBI Baltimore Field Office and the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith J. Edwards prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-176.

This release was revised on February 27, 2026, to recognize the assistance of the FBI Baltimore Field Office and the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.