A Trenton man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison, with 20 years of parole ineligibility, for leading a prostitution and human trafficking operation that spanned Mercer and Monmouth counties. The sentencing was announced by Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Division of Criminal Justice.
Paulino “Pablo” Macolas-Aguirre, 46, was found guilty on August 21, 2025, following a trial before Superior Court Judge Robert E. Lytle in Mercer County. Charges included conspiracy, racketeering, human trafficking, promoting prostitution, endangering the welfare of a child, financial facilitation of criminal activity, and promoting organized street crime.
According to authorities, Macolas-Aguirre led an enterprise that operated four houses of prostitution—two in Asbury Park and two in Trenton—where both a minor and hundreds of adult women engaged in commercial sex acts for money. He managed recruitment efforts, supervised house managers who kept detailed records of daily activities, scheduled workers, handled payments at the end of each week, and distributed business cards to attract customers. Police recovered ledgers during search warrants executed in 2021 and 2022 showing women engaging with up to 30 men per day; one ledger recorded a woman seeing 41 men in a single day.
The operation also included an “outcall” service where women were driven to various locations throughout Mercer County for commercial sex acts. Evidence presented at trial showed customers would contact Macolas-Aguirre or his employees to arrange these services.
Acting Attorney General Davenport stated: “Human trafficking women into a life of sexual servitude is an affront to all decent people. It is a dehumanizing crime that cannot be tolerated. This office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of anyone engaged in this illegal activity. The leader of this human trafficking ring has learned the price of his criminal conduct.”
DCJ Director Theresa L. Hilton added: “This defendant recruited women, including a minor, to perform sexual acts for money. He called the shots as the leader of this well-organized human trafficking operation and has now been sentenced to an appropriate penalty for his crimes. The outstanding work of the investigators and prosecutors in this case put an end to a significant sex trafficking ring.”
Lieutenant Colonel David Sierotowicz, Acting Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police (NJSP), said: “Human trafficking is a brutal crime that exploits vulnerability, strips individuals of their freedom, and leaves lasting trauma. For victims, the road ahead is often long and difficult, and we will remain relentless in investigating these crimes, which too often hide in plain sight, and holding traffickers accountable.”
Authorities say police searches uncovered evidence such as poker chips used by customers at three identified houses—on Hudson Street in Trenton and on 3rd Avenue and Prospect Avenue in Asbury Park—which entitled them to select females for sexual activity timed in 15-minute increments. A fourth location on Woodland Street served as the hub for “outcall” services.
During searches on January 21 and May 11, 2022—including at Macolas-Aguirre’s personal residence—detectives found more than $44,000 cash along with his passport; additional proceeds totaling approximately $25,000 were seized from other properties along with thousands of condoms and related supplies.
Macolas-Aguirre’s employees Edy Villeda-Estrada and Daniel Camara Bonito acted as house managers; both pleaded guilty after being arrested during police raids.
Other defendants who previously pleaded guilty include Edy Villega Estrada, Daniel Camara Bonito, Efran Melo Castillo, Lauren Macolas Aguirre, Jose Camara Perico, and Daniela Camara Perico.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including NJSP Missing Persons & Human Trafficking Unit alongside local police departments from Trenton and Asbury Park.
Deputy Attorney General Heather Hausleben and Assistant Attorney General Erik Daab prosecuted the case with support from Trial Analyst Nathalie Kurzawa; Deputy Attorney General Laura Magnone provided additional prosecutorial support.
The public is encouraged to report suspected sex- or labor-related human trafficking confidentially via the Division of Criminal Justice’s NJ Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-855-END-NJ-HT or report suspected online exploitation or abuse involving children through the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Tipline at 888-648-6007.
