Berkeley man gets life sentence

Matthew Graves, the first person ever to be convicted of human trafficking by a San Mateo County jury, was sentenced Friday to 34 years to life in prison, prosecutors said.

In February, Graves, 29, of Berkeley, was found guilty of four felonies: pimping of a minor, pandering of a minor, human trafficking of a minor for sex acts, and witness dissuasion.

Police arrested Graves in December 2015 after his 16-year-old victim ran from the Red Roof Inn in Burlingame, boarded a shuttle to San Francisco International Airport and found an officer.

Prosecutors said Graves beat the victim earlier when she refused to perform sex acts.

District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said the human trafficking case is the first to go to trial in the county. It took the jury just five hours to return the guilty verdicts.

The penalty for human trafficking is 15 years to life, but Graves received double that because of a 2009 felony robbery conviction, Wagstaffe said. Judge John L. Grandsaert tacked on four years for the witness dissuasion count, bringing the total to 34 years.

“The judge made the comment that he believed the defendant had no remorse for his conduct,” said Wagstaffe, who called the sentence “outstanding.”

Graves declined to speak at his sentencing, Wagstaffe said, and his court-appointed attorney, Paul Demeester, could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.