Bond denied for man named in RICO Act indictments
Floyd County Commonwealth’s Attorney Eric Branscom told Judge Mike Fleenor on Feb. 3 that the bridal shop served as a “hub” and “front” for the drug dealing in Rockbridge and Floyd counties, which in turn funded the human trafficking operation.
Bond was denied last week for a Roanoke man who was named in the August 2025 RICO Act indictments issued by a Floyd County Grand Jury.
The indictments, which were handed down as a part of a joint operation among state police, and Floyd and Rockbridge county law enforcement, cover a broad range of crimes including drug distribution and prostitution/human trafficking.
Jose Jorge Sanchez is accused of being involved with a drug and prostitution ring that was ran out of Amanda’s Bridal, a formal boutique in Roanoke. The shop is managed by Amanda Cash, who is related to one of the others named in the RICO Act indictments, Earl Wayne Smith.
Both Sanchez and Smith remain in custody.
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Floyd County Commonwealth’s Attorney Eric Branscom, who is prosecuting the case and working alongside law enforcement in Rockbridge, told Judge Mike Fleenor on Feb. 3 that the bridal shop served as a “hub” and “front” for the drug dealing in Rockbridge and Floyd counties, which in turn funded the human trafficking operation.
“Mr. Sanchez, in statements that he made, boasted of having over 60 women that he was working with,” Branscom said. “We were able to confirm a little over 50.”
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Amanda Cash issued a statement on social media on Feb. 5 that noted her estranged relationship with her father, Earl Wayne Smith. “First and foremost, my heart goes out to anyone who may have been harmed or victimized. If people were exploited or hurt, I am deeply sorry for what they endured. No one deserves that,” her statement reads.
She continued, “I also need to be very clear about something that is being repeatedly mischaracterized. The illegal activities described in today’s reporting were not run out of Amanda’s Touch as a business. They occurred in a back room with a separate exterior entrance, accessed after hours, when the store was closed. That back room was not the bridal shop, did not reflect our work, and was not what Amanda’s Touch is or ever has been.”
Read Cash's full statement here.