The owner and employees of the Sayville Motor Lodge have been indicted for sex trafficking conspiracy and allowing illicit drugs to be used on the premises.
The U.S. Attorney’s office announced the indictment of the motel’s owners: Narendarakuma Dadarwala, 76, his wife Shardaben Dadarwala, 69, their son Jigar Dadarwala, 44, and Ashokbhai Patel, 58. All four have been charged with managing a drug premises. Narendarakuma was charged with distribution of proceeds of prostitution and narcotics businesses.
Members of the Dadarwala family were arraigned on November 2. Patel was arrested in Nebraska on November 1 and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.
“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,” Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said. “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.”
According to federal officials, an unapprehended co-conspirator allegedly operated his sex trafficking business out of the Sayville Motor Lodge with the help of the Dadarwalas and Patel from 2014 to 2018. The co-conspirator allegedly trafficked several women out of the motel, including a minor, and allegedly routinely used physical violence against the women that worked for him.
“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,” Suffolk County Police Department Commissioner Rodney Harrison said. “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.”
The owners and operators were said to have conspired with traffickers and were allegedly aware that women engaged in prostitution at the motor lodge and one of the trafficking victims was underage. They allegedly watched traffickers physically abuse their victims and allegedly alerted them when law enforcement was on the premises. They also allegedly financially benefited from the commercial sex activity at the Sayville Motor Lodge.
The sex traffickers and victims often referred to Narendarakuma Dadarwala as “Dad” and “Pa” and Shardaben Dadarwala as “Mom” and “Ma.” The defendants also allegedly allowed customers to freely use drugs, including heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine, in their motel rooms.
The federal government is looking to forfeit the Sayville Motor Lodge. To ensure this is carried out, the United States has obtained an order restraining the defendants from transferring, encumbering or operating the Sayville Motor Lodge in violation of law.
Each defendant faces a minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment on the sex trafficking charge. The Dadarwalas and Patel each face up to 20 years for managing a drug premise charge, Narendarakuma faces up to 20 years for the managing a drug premises charge.
The government encourages victims of sex trafficking to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.