Former Rohnert Park Brothel Operator Gets 16 Years In Prison

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A Santa Rosa man was sentenced Thursday in Sonoma County Superior
Court to 16 years in prison in connection with a prostitution ring he and his mother operated in Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park, the Sonoma County District Attorney's office said.

David Romesburg II, 38, pleaded no contest in August to pimping, pandering and money laundering. His 16-year sentence was the most he faced under a plea agreement with the prosecution, the District Attorney's Office said.

Romesburg's mother Fay, 60, pleaded no contest to pandering and she was previously sentenced to three years' probation and a year in the Sonoma County Jail.

Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch said the sentencing was fitting because it happened during Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

"The operation run by these defendants was extensive and ongoing for years. As such, we are in complete agreement with the court's decision to impose the aggravated prison term in this case," Ravitch said.

Ravitch said human trafficking is not exclusive to the third world or large urban settings, but also happens in the community.

The Romesburgs operated a prostitution ring in Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa that involved dozens of adult women for nearly 10 years, the District Attorney's Office said.

The Romesburgs orchestrated all aspects of the victims' sex work in exchange for money, sex and other benefits. The profits were laundered through "front businesses" and financial institutions, the District Attorney's Office said.

When the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety arrested the Romesburgs on Jan. 26, 2018 for pimping and pandering, they said the business employed 150 women over 10 years.

David Romesburg was charged with human trafficking, pimping, encouraging prostitution, money laundering and unlawful intercourse with a person under 18. His mother was charged with pimping and pandering.

David Romesburg posted and responded online to ads for the women's services, the Department of Public Safety said. He told the women when to meet the clients, and the women paid a portion of the money they received to the Romesburgs, the Public Safety Department said.

David Romesburg pleaded no contest to unlawful sex with a minor in 2003 and he was convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor under 16 years old in 2001. He admitted to having a prior strike for a 1999 offense, the District Attorney's office said.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Alleged Rohnert Park Brothel Operators Plead Not Guilty
• Mom & Son Prostitution Biz Operated For 10 Years: Police
• Mom & Son Convicted For Running Local Brothel For 10 Years
• Sonoma County Mom, Son Busted In Prostitution Ring

By Bay City News Service

Photos courtesy Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety