Oakland man gets 8 years for trafficking woman, locking her in bathroom

OAKLAND — A local resident has been sentenced to eight years in prison as part of a plea deal to settle his human trafficking case, court records show.

Ralvell Cullors, 28, was charged in 2022 with trafficking a woman, then holding her at gunpoint and locking her in a bathroom when she tried to get away. He pleaded no contest to human trafficking and false imprisonment in exchange for the prison term, records show.

But there is a caveat — because human trafficking is listed as a nonviolent offense, Cullors can reduce his sentence by half. And with credits for good behavior, he has already served more than six-and-a-half years of the eight-year sentence while in Santa Rita Jail awaiting a resolution of his case.

The charging documents allege that Cullors trafficked the victim, known in court records as Jane Doe, from August through December 2021. She told police she initially agreed to perform sex work, but that whenever she spoke about quitting, Cullors would assault or threaten her.

It all came to a head on Dec. 6, 2021 when the victim tried to leave Cullors’ home, according to police. He allegedly backed Doe into a restroom at gunpoint, locked her inside and threatened to kill her. Investigators say she was able to escape the residence, leaving her 15-year-old sister inside with Cullors, who allegedly left the apartment with the teen and searched for Doe for an hour.

Cullors let the girl go that night, and she was reunited with her family, police said. Cullors was arrested roughly three months later, in February 2022, court records show.

Prosecutors said they had “multiple” conversations about the plea deal with Doe. The terms of Cullors’ sentencing also require him to register as a sex offender for life, court records show.