Prison sentences handed down in Merced human trafficking case

A man and woman have received prison time for roles in coercing a teenage girl into prostitution in Merced.

Samuel L. Packard, 32, was sentenced to 11 years in state prison by Judge Mark V. Bacciarini in Merced Superior Court on Wednesday. He will be required to register as a sex offender for life, according to court records.

Packard pleaded guilty in January to a single felony count of human trafficking of a minor for a sexual act.

His co-defendant, Ashley M. Gonzalez, 21, pleaded guilty to a single count of pandering a minor over the age of 16, the Merced County District Attorney’s Office said.

Gonzalez received a four-year prison term, but the sentence was suspended. She was also ordered to serve 393 days in a county jail custody program. She, too, will be required to register as a sex offender for life, court records show.

Should Gonzalez violate her probation, she could be ordered to serve her full prison term, attorneys said.

Packard and Gonzalez, both of Fresno, were arrested in August by the Merced Police Department.

Authorities said the pair drove a 17-year-old girl from Fresno to the Gateway Motel in the 1400 block of West 16th Street in Merced, where they encouraged her into prostitution. Prosecutors said the girl went with Packard and Gonzalez because she feared she would be harmed if she tried to walk away.

Gonzalez’s attorney, Jeffrey Tenenbaum, described his client as remorseful. “She’s very sorry for her role in this matter,” Tenenbaum said. “We’re extremely grateful to Judge Bacciarini for giving her a chance to be on probation.”

Packard’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Stephanie Jamieson, could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Following the conviction in January of both defendants, Deputy District Attorney Allen Grove said he was relieved the case had been resolved while sparing the victim from testifying about her experiences in open court. Grove praised the work of Merced police detectives, including Officer Kalvin Haygood, lead investigator in the case.

This article has been corrected from an earlier version which incorrectly identified the prosecutor in the case. The article should have originally identified Deputy District Attorney Allen Grove as the case prosecutor.

This story was originally published April 9, 2015 at 9:22 AM with the headline "Prison sentences handed down in Merced human trafficking case."