CEDAR CITY — A 34-year-old Arizona woman who pleaded guilty to human sex trafficking, assault and weapons charges has been sentenced to two years in jail and four years of probation.
Dana Richardson was sentenced in Cedar City on May 20 by 5th District Judge Matthew L. Bell.
As previously reported, Richardson was arrested after the car she was driving was stopped by police on the night of Dec. 3, 2023, on northbound Interstate 15 just north of Parowan. A woman had called 911 reporting that she had been injured following an altercation that started inside the vehicle, involving herself, Richardson and a front seat passenger who turned out to be a 17-year-old juvenile.
According to probable cause affidavits filed with the court, investigators reportedly found drugs, paraphernalia, two handguns, sex toys and multiple cellphones inside the car. Richardson, who was the owner and driver of the vehicle, was accused of transporting the other two occupants to California to engage in prostitution; the trio were allegedly on their way to Denver, Colorado, for similar reasons when they were stopped in Iron County.
On April 2, Richardson pleaded guilty to four charges: human trafficking for sexual exploitation, a second-degree felony; possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a third-degree felony; aggravated assault, a class A misdemeanor; and unlawful sexual conduct with a 16- or 17-year-old, a class A misdemeanor.
Prior to her sentencing, Richardson expressed remorse for her actions.
“I don’t make any excuses or minimize my actions in the things that took place,” Richardson said, apologizing to her family members, including her parents and young daughter.
“I’ve been in a deep swamp of despair since my fiancé’s murder,” she added.
On behalf of Richardson, defense attorney Matt Munson had asked that his client be given 364 days in jail, with credit given for the nearly six months she’d already served, followed by a zero-tolerance probationary period after her release.
However, prosecuting attorney Sam Woodall encouraged the court to follow the recommendations of Adult Probation and Parole’s pre-sentencing report and send Richardson to prison, citing her criminal history that included previous felony convictions in other states.
Before he imposed the sentence, Judge Bell told Richardson, “You’ve got some people who care about you and have seen the better side of you. I was taken aback a little bit when I saw multiple letters that reference you being an outstanding citizen and I couldn’t help but wonder if their opinion would change if they read your text messages.”
Later, after a few minutes of deliberation, Bell suspended the prison terms associated with the two felonies and instead sentenced Richardson to two 364-day jail sentences on the misdemeanor counts and ordered that the terms run consecutively.
The judge did not give credit for time already served but said that Richardson would be eligible for good time, if earned.
“I’m trying to get a sentence that’s close to what I think you would probably do time-wise and still have the ability to impose the prison sentence,” Bell explained, noting that if Richardson violates the terms of her 48-month zero-tolerance probation, she could be sent to prison.
Bell also ordered that Richardson spend 120 days in home confinement after her release from jail.
“If you have to go to residential treatment first, complete the residential treatment, then do the home confinement,” Bell said. He also recommended that Richardson take advantage of mental health counseling and educational training during her incarceration.
The court waived more than $38,000 in fines, leaving just the $212 security fees to be paid.
Richardson was advised that she has 30 days to file a written appeal if she chooses.
Contacted for comment after the sentencing, Deputy Iron County Attorney Trajan Evans said: “We appreciate the court’s carefully crafted sentence in this case. After considering all the factors involved, this sentence strikes a just balance.”
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