40°
Jurors this week found Luis Guzman, 41, guilty of several counts stemming from the Nov. 5, 2012 attack at Mr. B’s Gentlemen’s Club.
Guzman attended the trial during testimony but skipped bail before summations, jury deliberations and the pronouncement of guilty conviction of two counts of aggravated sexual assault and being an accomplice to aggravated sexual assault, as well as invasion of privacy and various conspiracy and sexual contact offenses.
A judge revoked Guzman’s bail and issued a bench warrant for his arrest to face sentencing.
Guzman joins two other defendants -- Brian Guzman and Fernando Vaquero – who fled the jurisdiction in 2016 prior to their trials and had bench warrants issued for their arrests.
Manager Michael Ramirez was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role. Dancer Trystal Lozada got 20 years. Codefendant Miguel Delacruz got 12. Co-defendant Ashley Maldonado is scheduled for sentencing in October.
Mr. B’s had closed for the evening when the group of men and women repeatedly raped the dancer after Ramirez drugged her, “rendering her mentally incapacitated and physically helpless,” Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said.
The victim -- a then-26-year-old single mother of two -- reported the assault to Passaic police, who recovered the video, which prosecutors entered into evidence during the trial.
The victim said she was forced into making the pornographic video in the club and an upstairs apartment.
Prosecutors said Guzman encouraged the sexual assaults and recorded an hour and ten minutes on video.
Defense attorneys claimed the victim participated freely and went to police when she didn't get paid.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Elizabeth and receive free news updates.
