Mother-Son Pimping and Pandering Duo Sentenced

Defendant David Romesburg, 38 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced today by the Honorable Bradford DeMeo to serve 16 years in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation after having pled no contest in August of last year to felony charges of pimping, pandering, and money laundering. Romesburg also admitted to having a prior “strike” offense from 1999. The prison sentence represented the maximum sentence the defendant could have served under an agreement reached with the District Attorney’s Office. In addition to the prison term, Romesburg will be required to register as a sexual offender for life. Co-defendant Fay Romesburg, David’s mother, was sentenced to three years of formal probation and a local jail term after having previously pled no contest to one felony count of criminal pandering.

District Attorney Ravitch stated, “It is fitting that today’s sentence was handed-down during Human Trafficking Awareness month. The problem of sex trafficking is not exclusive to third world, and large urban settings. It can and does happen in this community. 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.”

Over the course of nearly ten years, the Romesburgs operated a vast prostitution ring in the cities of Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa, involving many dozens of adult women. The mother-son duo orchestrated all aspects of the victim’s sex work in exchange for receiving money, sex and other benefits. Profits were then laundered through various “front businesses” and financial institutions.

Judge DeMeo sentenced David Romesburg to sixteen years in the state prison in accordance with the recommendations of the Probation Department and the District Attorney’s Office.

While handing down the sentence the court noted that David Romesburg had operated a “sophisticated and intelligent illegal business organization” which “took advantage of the trust given to him by vulnerable victims.” The court further described “an element of callousness” displayed by how the defendant managed the power relationship between himself and his victims.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys Laura Passaglia and Alexandra Fisher, assisted by District Attorney Victim Advocate Makeeba Kadri. Detectives Jon Kempf and Jeff Justice of the Rohnert Park Police Department headed the investigation.