Ronald McBride, 22, of Sarasota, was sentenced to 50 years in prison Tuesday afternoon for six (6) felony charges, including human trafficking. This is the first local case in Sarasota County where a suspect was found guilty of human trafficking.
McBride was originally found guilty in June for Human Trafficking (sexual), Aggravated Assault with a Weapon, Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon, Robbery with a Firearm, False Imprisonment and Sexual Battery. All charges stem from a December 2015 case.
"I feel like justice was served today," said Sergeant Robert Armstrong, Sarasota Police Department Criminal Investigations Division. "Ronald McBride received 50 years today and that sentence is a very long time for him to sit and think about what he's done. Every day we fight against human trafficking in our community and we will continue to do so," said Sgt. Armstrong.
"Sarasota is a beautiful place but human trafficking is a dark topic. We will not tolerate this in our community. We will continue to fight to stop human trafficking in our community," said Brooke Kernan, Assistant State Attorney for the 12th Judicial Circuit.
This case involved the partnership between the Sarasota Police Department, State Attorney's Office and Selah Freedom.
