Inside Break-Up of Daniel Onodera's Seven-Person Child-Prostitution Ring

Last year, we told you about the breakup of a child prostitution ring operating in Lakewood and Wheat Ridge, as well as the arrest of alleged ringleader Daniel Onodera and six others said to have been associated with exploiting teenage girls via meth and more.

More than a year and a half later, the prosecutions are finally in the books. According to First Judicial DA's office spokeswoman Pam Russell, Onodera's co-conspirators — Kevin Snuggs, Mark Turtice, Marshall Ashton, Nickolas Silk, Pamela Lewis, Zelian Shaw — each pleaded guilty to various offenses and received punishment ranging from three years behind bars to a deferred sentence. However, one person has already violated his parole and a warrant is out for his arrest. We've got the details below.

And Onodera? In recent days, he was sentenced to a lot more time than all of the others combined — well over a century in stir.

The length of the jolt handed to Onodera has plenty to do with his previous criminal history.

The DA's office notes that Onodera had nine previous felony convictions prior to the most recent crimes for which he's being put away, and he was on parole for two of them at the time of the latest offenses. The judge who oversaw Onodera's sentencing has designated him a sexually violent predator.

Some of the particulars about the ring shifted between the first wave of arrests, in February 2014, and Onodera's court appearance earlier this month.

Originally, the crimes were said to have taken place between December 201 and November 2012. Now, the dates being used span January to May of 2012.

In addition, the DA's office initially made reference to three victims — two of them age sixteen, the other three years younger.

Prosecutors currently cite two victims: the first age sixteen, the second age seventeen.

Neither of these teens is said to have known the other, but they shared some common ground. Both were runaways who were lured into prostitution by meth courtesy of Onodera.

There were two operational bases for the ring: the Timberleaf Apartments, at 1388 Garrison in Lakewood, and a Motel 6, just off Interstate 70 at the Kipling exit.

The victims were made to have sex with strangers and, reportedly, at least one member of Onodera's crew. Payment for these services was allegedly made in either money or drugs.

A chart on view below outlines the original charges against the arrestees, with the most common being contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

However, Silk, nicknamed Fluffy, faced a sex-assault-on-a-child beef, as did Onodera. But the latter accusation eventually fell by the wayside.

In June, a jury found Onodera guilty of eight felony counts — among them pandering of a child, pimping of a child, keeping a place of child prostitution and soliciting child prostitution. And on September 15, Onodera was sentenced to 120 years to life.

DA's office spokeswoman Russell tells us that everyone else arrested in the case previously pleaded guilty to at least one offense, but those with lesser involvement in the ring (particularly the ones who cooperated with prosecutors) received deferred or smaller sentences.

She adds that one of the victims attended the sentencing. "She didn't say anything," Russell notes, "but it was very brave of her to be there."

Look below to see booking photos of all seven ring members, along with the sentences for the six people prosecuted prior to Onodera, followed by the aforementioned graphic.

Marshall Deron Ashton
DOB: 2-23-82
Pleaded Guilty to Contributing to the Delinquency of a Child (F4)
Sentenced 7-28-14
4Y probation with mental health eval/treatment; community service

Nickolas Alan Silk
DOB: 13-7-90
Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Pimping Child (F4)
Sentenced 1/23/15
3Y DOC, 3Y parole
Pleaded Guilty to Attempted Sex Assault (F5)
3Y DOC, 3Y parole (concurrent)

Kevin J. Snuggs
DOB: 3-26-86
Pleaded Guilty to Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor (F4)
Sentencted 4/16/14
Granted 2Y deferred judgment and sentence supervised by Diversion Program
Pleaded Guilty to Theft (F4)
Granted 2Y deferred judgment and sentence supervised by Diversion Program

Pamela Jean Lewis
DOB: 4-29-56
Pleaded Guilty to Child Abuse (M1)
Sentenced 10-6-14
1Y jail
Pleaded Guilty to Poss Controlled Substance (M1)
1Y jail (concurrent)

Mark Wayne Turturice
DOB: 11-8-59
Pleaded Guilty to Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor (F4)
Sentenced 10-9-14
3Y DOC
Pleaded Guilty to Attempted Sex Assault (victim under 15) (F5)
3Y DOC (concurrent)

Zelian Ashbury Shaw
DOB: 6-3-93
Pleaded Guilty to Reckless Endangerment (M3)
Sentenced 12/1/14
5Y prob + 1Y jail
Pleaded Guilty to Providing Alcohol to Minor (M1)
5Y probation + 1Y jail (concurrent)
8/28/15
Probation violation for failure to comply was filed and warrant has been issued for Mr. Shaw