(Stamford, CT) – Paul J. Ferencek, State’s Attorney for the Stamford/Norwalk Judicial District, today announced that the Honorable Colleen Zingaro on October 3, 2025 sentenced Teresa Martinez, age 39, of Bridgeport, to 15 years in prison, execution suspended after six years served, followed by five years of probation.
On August 12, 2025, Martinez pleaded guilty in Stamford Superior Court to charges of Trafficking in Persons, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-192a, and Risk of Injury to a Minor, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53-21(a)(1). In exchange for the defendant’s guilty pleas, the State had extended a plea offer of 15 years in prison, execution suspended after nine years served, with five years of probation.
An investigation showed that the defendant arranged for the transportation of three minors from Bridgeport to a hotel in Norwalk for purposes of engaging in prostitution dating back to late 2020. All three minors involved were under the age of 18 years at the time, with one of the minors being under the age of 16. One minor reported that the defendant had arranged for payment of $200 in exchange for sexual services with a co-defendant, through which the defendant kept $100 and the minor received $100. Norwalk Police spoke with each of the minors involved and were further able to corroborate dates through review of hotel records related to the co-defendant who would pay in cash and reserve the rooms on the day of check-in. A criminal case against the co-defendant is pending in Stamford Superior Court.
The Stamford/Norwalk State’s Attorney’s Office would like to thank the Norwalk Police Department, particularly Detective Patrick English for his hard work and dedication to this extensive and difficult investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Margaret Moscati and State’s Attorney Ferencek, with the assistance of Inspector Martin O’Reilly