- October 11, 2024
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A Volusia County man convicted of 11 felonies — including human trafficking, armed trafficking in fentanyl, aggravated battery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon — has been sentenced to life in prison plus 160 years.
Derick Jones, 49, was sentenced by Judge Raul Zambrano on July 13.
He was also convicted of two misdemeanors, according to a press release.
During an investigation in December 2022, the Daytona Beach Police Department's Special Investigations Unit identified three victims who said Jones confined them in hotel rooms and beat them if they didn't commit prostitution. He beat one victim so severely that she is now blind.
Detectives searched a South Ridgewood Avenue hotel room where Jones was staying. They found illegal drugs and evidence of human trafficking and prostitution.
“The victims will forever carry the physical, mental and emotional scars from the defendant’s vicious and cruel crimes,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said, according to the press release. “It is only fair that he spend the rest of his life in prison. We will not tolerate human traffickers, and we will seek maximum penalties for those who engage in such activities.”
