Darrell Smith is accused of forcing multiple women into prostitution in his Trenton apartment
TRENTON - A woman who said she was one of many who was drugged and forced into prostitution in a Trenton apartment, escaped by devising a plan with a friend, Mercer County Prosecutors said.
The woman was one of two who has come forward with a story about 45-year-old Darrell Smith, a Trenton man who has been charged with two counts of human trafficking for forcing women into prostitution, prosecutors said.
During his third bail hearing last week, prosecutors released more information on the first woman involved, who met Smith online.
The woman lived in Las Vegas last year when Smith convinced her to come to New Jersey, promising a relationship, assistant prosecutor Heather Hadley has said.
But almost as soon as the woman set foot on the east coast in December, Smith forced her into prostitution, according to officials
Hadley revealed this week that Smith made up business cards for the woman and barred her from attending school. He would drive her to and from hotels to meet men, Hadley said.
The whole time, Smith promised the woman a better life, saying, "It's not always going to be like this," Hadley said.
Without friends or family in the area, the woman trusted Smith and believed their relationship could turn romantic.
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But her thinking changed as she watched Smith bring many different women into his Trenton apartment. The women would only stay at the apartment for a short time, during which Smith would give them drugs and force them into prostitution, Hadley said.
The woman from Las Vegas was not allowed to interact with any of the other women Smith brought into the apartment, prosecutors said.
Soon Smith started to let the woman attend school, where she met a friend outside of Smith's group.
In January the woman decided to break free from Smith's control and made a plan to flee in her friend's car.
Smith tried to stop the woman when she left the apartment but she told him her friend was waiting outside and he let her go, Hadley said.
But it wasn't her story that initially led to Smith's arrest.
It was a routine traffic stop that same month. Police pulled over Smith's car in a Lawrence Wawa and found a woman in the backseat who asked to speak with them.
She told police Smith had taken her from a Trenton hotel room and forced her into prostitution, prosecutors have said.
Police charged Smith with a count of human trafficking after the stop and then another count after the Las Vegas woman came forward.
Hadley said they are looking into identifying more victims.
Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.