Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes announces that Luis Guzman, 43, from Clifton, was found guilty of Aggravated Sexual Assault and related charges for the November 5, 2012, sexual assault of an employee at Mr. B’s Gentlemen’s Club.
According to officials, on June 29, 2022, a jury found Luis Guzman guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Sexual Assault, Accomplice to Aggravated Sexual Assault, Conspiracy to Commit Sexual Assault, Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, Accomplice to Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, Conspiracy to Commit Criminal Sexual Contact and Invasion of Privacy.
The State presented evidence at trial that the sexual assault occurred on November 5, 2012, inside Mr. B’s Gentlemen’s Club in Passaic after the establishment closed for business.
Officials said that the victim, a former dancer at Mr. B’s, testified that she was drugged by one of the managers of the club, rendering her mentally incapacitated and physically helpless, at which point she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by six others inside of the establishment while the Defendant encouraged the sexual assaults and recorded an hour and ten minutes of the incidents.
According to officials, the victim reported the sexual assault to the Passaic Police Department within 12 hours of the assaults, and a sexual assault examination and toxicology analysis was conducted at the hospital.
The video footage was recovered and was introduced in evidence and considered by the jury during trial.
Officials said that the Defendant was present for the testimonial portion of the trial, however, he failed to appear in Court for summations and during jury deliberations.
Upon the return of the jury’s guilty verdict, the Court revoked his bail and issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
Sentencing will be scheduled upon his apprehension.
According to officials, co-defendants Michael Ramirez and Trystal Lozada were previously found guilty following a jury trial and sentenced to 30 years and 20 years, respectively, to be served in New Jersey State Prison.
Co-defendant Miguel Delacruz previously pled guilty to Aggravated Sexual Assault and was sentenced on February 14, 2018, to 12 years in New Jersey State Prison.
Officials said that additionally, Co-defendant Ashley Maldonado pled guilty to Aggravated Sexual Assault and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 21, 2022.
Two remaining co-defendants responsible for the sexual assault on the victim, Brian Guzman and Fernando Vaquero, fled the jurisdiction in 2016 prior to their trials and arrest warrants for their apprehension are still outstanding.