SALSIBURY, Md. – Four women who say they were forced into prostitution are suing the owners of a Maryland hotel, arguing that staff knew or should have known that human trafficking was going on there.
The Daily Times of Salisbury (http://delmarvane.ws/2l49QEy ) reports the victims filed separate lawsuits Friday in Wicomico County Circuit Court against the owners of the America's Best Value Inn in Salisbury.
After a 2014 human-trafficking bust there, convicted ringleader Cornelius Briddell was given a 145-year prison sentence.
The women say they were drugged and held against their will.
The lawsuits say the hotel owners had a duty to keep the property safe.
Red Lion Hotels Corp., which acquired the America's Best Value Inn last year, says the company instructs independent owners about recognizing the signs of trafficking and reporting it.
___
Information from: The Daily Times of Salisbury, Md., http://www.delmarvanow.com/
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
