Ricardo Urbina, Sex Trafficking and Cocaine Distribution, Michigan 2024

RICARDO URBINA, a 54-year-old man from Muskegon, was found guilty on May 14 after a six-day trial in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on three counts of sex trafficking minors, three counts of attempting to sex traffic minors, conspiring to sex traffic minors, sex trafficking an adult by force, fraud, or coercion, distributing cocaine, distributing cocaine base, and conspiring to distribute cocaine. The jury’s verdict seals a grim end to a years-long exploitation ring targeting vulnerable girls and young women. Urbina now faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life.

Beginning in May 2015, Urbina began preying on 16- and 17-year-old runaways—girls desperate for shelter and cash. He lured them with promises of housing and partying, then supplied alcohol and cocaine to weaken their resistance. Under the guise of “dancing” or giving “massages,” the minors were pushed into commercial sex acts. After each encounter, the girls handed over half the money they earned to Urbina, who treated them as profit centers, not people.

In September 2016, Urbina expanded his operation by recruiting Francisco Soto, then 18, to help bring in more underage girls. Soto used Facebook to befriend vulnerable teens, inviting them to parties where Urbina would pitch the so-called “easy money” of dancing. Once hooked, the girls quickly learned the truth: the men paying for “dances” expected sex, and Urbina ensured they delivered.

The prosecution presented overwhelming digital evidence: over 500 pages of ads pulled from Backpage.com, where the pair marketed the girls for sex, and more than 4,000 encrypted messages sent through a phone app designed to hide their real numbers. These messages detailed scheduling, pricing, and client feedback—cold, transactional records of human exploitation.

Ten victims took the stand to recount their abuse. One woman testified that in the summer of 2016, after telling Urbina she needed a place to stay, he offered shelter—then forced her into sex work the very first night. When she tried to escape, he hit her, choked her, and claimed she owed him $1,000 for the money he’d “lost” when she refused clients. She fled by secretly booking a hotel room and slipping away while he slept.

The West Michigan Based Child Exploitation Task Force (WEBCHEX) led the investigation, with support from the FBI, Michigan State Police, Kent County Sheriff’s Office, and Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Davin M. Reust and Alexis M. Sanford prosecuted the case, delivering a decisive blow against a predator who weaponized desperation and addiction to fuel his criminal enterprise.

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