SALEM —An 80-year-old Haverhill man was sentenced to three years and one day in state prison after pleading guilty in Essex County Superior Court today to maintaining a house of prostitution and multiple drug distribution offenses.
According to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office, John Caruso, 80, of Haverhill admitted to maintaining a house of prostitution, possessing suboxone, gabapentin, and marijuana with intent to distribute, and possessing fentanyl. The investigation that led to the charges originated from the Jan. 8, 2024 overdose death of a young woman inside Caruso’s office on River Street in Haverhill.
Investigators said that between June 2021 and February 2024, Caruso used a building he owned in Haverhill—where he operated an accounting business—to pay women with money and drugs to engage in sex acts with him and other men. The investigation was conducted by the Haverhill Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.
Judge Elizabeth Dunigan accepted Caruso’s guilty plea and sentenced him to three years and one day in state prison, followed by two years of probation. As part of the sentence, Caruso must register as a sex offender, and following his release, avoid contact with the victims, remain drug-free, and submit to potential drug screenings, prosecutors said.
When given an opportunity to address the court by Judge Dunigan, Caruso said, “I am embarrassed and I am very sorry.”
Assistant District Attorney Jessica Strasnick represented the Commonwealth and read victim impact statements in court. One individual said they were “glad he will be held accountable for what he has done,” while another spoke of the “atrocities committed” by Caruso and stated, “He has destroyed many lives and profited from others’ misery.”
Judge Dunigan referenced the overdose death that led to the investigation, saying the young woman “was the light that brought this case to everyone’s attention, and this was her final gift,” according to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.
Caruso was represented by attorney Scott Gleason.
