PORTLAND, Ore. — A Seattle man who pimped out his girlfriend after losing his job to a failed drug test was sentenced Wednesday to nearly four years in federal prison.
U.S. District Court Judge Robert Jones told Zarin Price he was “very reluctantly” following the sentencing recommendation lawyers agreed to in exchange for a guilty plea.
“You don’t deserve it,” Jones said of what he considered a lenient punishment. The judge said he hopes the 36-year-old matures in prison and opts for a different life than that of a heroin addict and pimp.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Martin said in a sentencing memorandum that the victim was a good student-athlete before suffering a serious injury that ended her ability to play. During her recovery, she became addicted to prescription opioid drugs and, later, heroin. She had a child and decided to enter drug treatment, where she met Price.
The recovering addicts moved in together. Price became abusive after they relapsed.
In January 2015, Price had lost his job after testing positive for drugs. He had attempted to beat the test by submitting a urine sample from the victim, who had recently quit using.
Blaming her for the failed test, Price tied the young woman up with a phone cord and held a gun to her head. He then forced her out on “the track” in Seattle, where he negotiated with drivers. He pocketed the money they paid for sex acts.
About a month later, he brought her to the Portland area, where she met clients on the street and online.
Price was arrested on an assault charge in July 2015 after witnesses saw him repeatedly punch the victim in the face during a confrontation in the parking lot of a hotel in Tigard, Oregon.
In a search, officers found Price in possession of meth, cocaine, numerous hotel key cards and the book “Pimpology,” a guide to becoming a pimp.
Price pleaded guilty last fall to coercing and transporting the woman across the state line to engage in prostitution.
He apologized in the Portland courtroom Wednesday, saying drugs were the focus of his crime, not the money.
“I want you to know this is the cataclysmic event,” he told the judge. “You will never hear from me again. This is the end, I know. I learned and I was wrong for this — and I’m sorry.”
Martin said the victim has a “continuing emotional attachment” to Price. The woman initially cooperated with authorities before deciding to no longer participate. She declined to submit a victim impact statement or return paperwork necessary to receive restitution.
It was anticipated she would show up in court Wednesday to support Price. She never arrived.
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