Sayville Motor Lodge, notorious site of sex trafficking, sold for $2 million

October 4, 2023 Rob Abruzzese

The Sayville Motor Lodge, which was located at 5494 Sunrise Highway, has been sold after it was shut down nearly a year ago for its alleged involvement in human trafficking.
Photo courtesy of Google Maps

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The Sayville Motor Lodge, a property involved in a sex trafficking and drug conspiracy case, has been sold for $2 million, according to a court order issued by United States District Judge Joanna Seybert.

The announcement comes nearly a year after the unsealing of indictments against Narendarakuma Dadarwala, his wife Shardaben Dadarwala, their son Jigar Dadarwala, Ashokbhai Patel, Timothy Bullen, and Michael Johnson, among others.

“As a result of this sale, the Sayville Motor Lodge is no longer ground zero of an insidious money-maker for prostitution and narcotics trafficking, and a blight on the surrounding community,” U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace said. “Instead, the property will be repurposed by its new owner for the benefit of the residents of Long Island.”

According to court documents, the lodge was not just a place for overnight stays. It functioned as a haven for criminal activities, specifically sex trafficking and drug distribution. The owners and the staff were alleged to have been directly involved in facilitating these crimes. They had control over room rentals and set rates for commercial sex, turning a blind eye to the criminal activities on their property. They were also aware that at least one minor was among the trafficking victims.

Furthermore, they allegedly warned traffickers and those engaged in prostitution when law enforcement was on the property and even observed physical abuse of the victims. In a more shocking revelation, the lodge was also alleged to be a venue for drug dealing, with the owners allowing the use of drugs like heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine on the property.

The operation had allegedly been in place since 2014, and besides the owners and employees, it involved other co-conspirators who also trafficked women from the motel. The women involved were often subjected to physical and mental abuse, kept addicted to drugs, and introduced to prostitution in exchange for drugs.

The property has since been sold for $2 million, as per a court order, and the proceeds are earmarked for victim compensation. Charges against the defendants are still pending with no trial date set. The sale proceeds will first go to prior lenders on the property.

The remaining funds are slated for forfeiture to the U.S. government, which intends to use them for victim compensation through the Department of Justice’s remission procedures.

U.S. Attorney Peace said that the sale marks the end of the property’s role as a hub for illegal activities. Peace also expressed gratitude to multiple law enforcement agencies for their involvement in the case.

The indictments against the defendants are still pending, with no trial date currently set. Charges include sex trafficking conspiracy, managing a drug premises, and distribution of proceeds of prostitution and narcotics businesses.