Tag:

Human trafficking

19-Year-Old Admits Smuggling Migrants Through Northern Westchester, Threatening Them 19-Year-Old Admits Smuggling Migrants Through Northern Westchester, Threatening Them
19-Year-Old Admits Smuggling Migrants Through Northern Westchester, Threatening Them A 19-year-old man faces years in prison after he was caught trafficking migrants in Northern Westchester, federal officials said. Mario Elpidio Chavez Millan of Albuquerque, New Mexico, pleaded guilty to charges connected to his smuggling of people who illegally entered the United States as well as his participation in a kidnapping scheme, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Tuesday, May 7.  According to federal officials, on July 10, 2023, New York State Police in Cortlandt received a report from a person who said their relative had entered…
Creep Paid 13-Year-Old For Sex Acts At North Bergen Motel: Prosecutor Creep Paid 13-Year-Old For Sex Acts At North Bergen Motel: Prosecutor
Creep Paid 13-Year-Old For Sex Acts At North Bergen Motel: Prosecutor A 24-year-old Hudson County man has been charged with human trafficking and a slew of other offenses in connection with sex acts involving a 13-year-old, authorities said. Henry Sunun Sutuj met the 13-year-old girl at a park in North Bergen and offered her money in exchange for sexual acts on Saturday, April 20, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. He arranged transportation for the girl, who met him at a North Bergen motel, where he sexually assaulted her, Suarez said. The prosecutor's Special Victims Unit, West New York Police Department, North Bergen Police Department, and the Un…
Prostitution Sting: 7 Busted Trying To Pay Holyoke Cops For Sex Prostitution Sting: 7 Busted Trying To Pay Holyoke Cops For Sex
Prostitution Sting: 7 Busted Trying To Pay Holyoke Cops For Sex Seven men were arrested in Hampden County earlier this week for trying to pay an undercover officer for sex in a sting.  Hokyoke police conducted the operation to target human trafficking in the city, authorities said.  Related: 5 Charged In Springfield Undercover Prostitution Sting Each of the men was charged with soliciting sex for a fee, officials said.  Those arrested are: Jorge Lopez — 49 years old Jose Santiago — 68 years old Christopher Laines — 34 years old Josue Ortiz — 29 years old Sarom Soeng — 47 years old Guy Flathers — 72 years old Joseph Fournier — 61 years…
Undercover Sting Leads To Child Exploitation Charges For 4 In Hartford Undercover Sting Leads To Child Exploitation Charges For 4 In Hartford
Undercover Sting Leads To Child Exploitation Charges For 4 In Hartford Four men were charged for allegedly making deals with undercover police to have sex with a 15-year-old girl. The arrests occurred in Hartford County on Friday, April 19, at an undisclosed hotel in Hartford. According to Lt. Aaron Boisvert of the Hartford Police, the Special Investigations Division conducted an undercover sting operation to target and combat child exploitation.  The operation was located at an undisclosed hotel within the City of Hartford. Undercover law enforcement personnel assumed the identity of a 15-year-old girl’s aunt on the internet and engaged in dia…
Lexington Man Sentenced For Trying To Pay For Sex With Teen Lexington Man Sentenced For Trying To Pay For Sex With Teen
Lexington Man Sentenced For Trying To Pay For Sex With Teen A registered sex offender from Massachusetts with a previous conviction will spend over a decade in prison after trying to pay who he thought was a child sex trafficker for sex with a 14-year-old girl, officials said. Middlesex County resident David Cannon of Lexington, age 61, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for trying to pay for sex with a teenager, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced on Tuesday, April 9.  According to federal officials, in November 2022, Cannon replied to an online advertisement that offered commercial sex with two young gir…
PA Pimp Admits Trafficking Aspiring Teen Model, DA Says PA Pimp Admits Trafficking Aspiring Teen Model, DA Says
PA Pimp Admits Trafficking Aspiring Teen Model, DA Says The first man captured by the Lancaster County Human Trafficking Task Force has been sentenced after confessing to his crimes, the District Attorney announced on Monday, April 8. More than two years after his arrest, Louis Fountain, 34 of Brookhaven, Delaware County pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking individuals, four counts of promoting prostitution, and one count of living off prostitutes before Lancaster County President Judge David Ashworth on March 29, as detailed in the release. Judge Ashworth sentenced him to serve a "prison term of one year, 11 months, and eight d…
Man Tries To Traffic 15-Year-Old Girl In Meriden, Nearby Towns, Police Say Man Tries To Traffic 15-Year-Old Girl In Meriden, Nearby Towns, Police Say
Man Tries To Traffic 15-Year-Old Girl In Meriden, Nearby Towns, Police Say A man has been arrested after authorities said he was caught planning to traffic a teen girl for money in Connecticut. The New Haven County incident was investigated by the FBI and Meriden Police Department, leading to the arrest of 35-year-old Gary Taylor on Thursday, March 21. During the investigation, Taylor spoke to who he believed to be a 15-year-old girl. As he spoke to the girl, police said Taylor expressed interest in trafficking her in nearby towns for money. Police said he then traveled to Meriden to meet up with the girl, only to be arrested and charged with the following: …
Waltham Man Guilty Of Trying To Pay To Rape 12-Year-Old Girl: Feds Waltham Man Guilty Of Trying To Pay To Rape 12-Year-Old Girl: Feds
Waltham Man Guilty Of Trying To Pay To Rape 12-Year-Old Girl: Feds A Waltham man was found guilty of negotiating with what he believed to be a human trafficker to have sex with a child, authorities said.  Misael Fabian Medina, 38, was convicted of one count of attempted sex trafficking of a child; and one count of attempted coercion and enticement, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Medina responded to an online advertisement offering sex with two young girls for cash in November 2022, federal authorities said. What he didn't know was it was a sting, and he was speaking with a police officer.  He agreed to pay $200 to have sex with a …
NY Man, 33, Paid For Sex With 12-Year-Old In New Jersey: Police NY Man, 33, Paid For Sex With 12-Year-Old In New Jersey: Police
NY Man, 33, Paid For Sex With 12-Year-Old In New Jersey: Police A 33-year-old New York man was arrested by New Jersey State Police after paying a woman to have sex with her 12-year-old daughter, authorities said. New Jersey State Police began investigating Ulster County resident Alexander Boyd in January after he was soliciting children for sex on the internet, New Paltz Police, where Boyd lives, said. Boyd made plans with a woman to purchase her 12-year-old daughter for sex, police said. Once they settled on a price, Boyd traveled to New Jersey, booked a hotel room, and waited for the woman and her daughter, police said. He was located and taken i…
Three Arrested After Police Dismantle Prostitution Ring In Frederick, Officials Say Three Arrested After Police Dismantle Prostitution Ring In Frederick, Officials Say
Three Arrested After Police Dismantle Prostitution Ring In Frederick, Officials Say Several massage parlors were shut down in Maryland following an investigation into alleged prostitution operations, according to the Frederick Police Department. Tipsters alerted the agency in January about alleged illegal activity in the county, resulting in the arrest of three women who are accused of running the trafficking and prostitution network. Those taken into custody this week:  Jinchan Yang, 37; Xiaohing Wan, 47 Yuxia Chang, 44. According to officials, on Monday, members of the Frederick Police Department, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Inves…
Alleged Reading Human Trafficker Gets 22 Years For Ordering Jailhouse 'Hit' On Witness Alleged Reading Human Trafficker Gets 22 Years For Ordering Jailhouse 'Hit' On Witness
Alleged Reading Human Trafficker Gets 22 Years For Ordering Jailhouse 'Hit' On Witness A Reading man facing an ongoing human trafficking case could spend up to two decades in prison for ordering a jailhouse hit on a testifying witness, authorities say.  Dushawn Ellis was sentenced to 8 to 22 years behind bars on Monday, Feb. 26 for witness intimidation and obstruction of justice, said the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office.  Investigators have said Ellis, 34, was in custody at the Berks County Prison when he offered another inmate $20,000 to assassinate the witness. The other inmate was an acquaintance of the witness and told him about the offer, accor…
VA Man Who Came To PA For Sex With Child Stays For Prison Sentence: DA VA Man Who Came To PA For Sex With Child Stays For Prison Sentence: DA
VA Man Who Came To PA For Sex With Child Stays For Prison Sentence: DA A Virginia man who pleaded guilty in connection to traveling to Pennsylvania to have sex with a child has been sentenced, the Lancaster County District Attorney's office announced on Tuesday, Feb. 20.  Tanner Iskra, 38 of the 2100 block of Harpoon Drive, Stafford, VA, pleaded guilty in Sept. 2023 to attempted statutory sexual assault (11 years older), attempted corruption of minors, and criminal use of a communication facility, DA Heather Adams detailed in the release.  Iskra was sentenced to 11-23 months in prison, eight years of probation, and he must register as a sex offender …
Pair Caught In Berks County Human Trafficking Sting, Police Say Pair Caught In Berks County Human Trafficking Sting, Police Say
Pair Caught In Berks County Human Trafficking Sting, Police Say Two men were arrested last month as part of a police sting on human trafficking in Berks County, authorities say.  The District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Task Force posted phony listings on websites "commonly used for sexual advertisements," Spring Township police said in a release.  On Jan. 29, suspects responded to the ads and agreed to pay for sex with 14- and 15-year-olds, authorities said.  Spring police announced two arrests in connection with the sting: James Edward Moon, 67, of Sinking Spring, was charged with IDSI of a person under 16, statutory sexual assault,…
NJ Child Porn Trafficker Got Child To Perform Online For Him, Feds Charge NJ Child Porn Trafficker Got Child To Perform Online For Him, Feds Charge
NJ Child Porn Trafficker Got Child To Perform Online For Him, Feds Charge A child porn trafficker from Middlesex County got a minor to perform online for him, federal authorities charged. Francisco Villafane, 37, of Perth Amboy, initially lost contact after he began texting with the youngster in 2020, but they resumed communication in late 2023, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Villafane "exchanged sexually explicit content with the victim and solicited explicit material...including videos of the victim engaging in sexual acts at Villafane’s request," the U.S. attorney said. Members of his Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force ch…
Monmouth Regional High School Educator Nominated For National Teacher Of The Year Monmouth Regional High School Educator Nominated For National Teacher Of The Year
Monmouth Regional High School Educator Nominated For National Teacher Of The Year A Monmouth County educator who was named New Jersey's teacher of the year could also get the same recognition nationally. Joe Nappi, a history and social studies teacher at Monmouth Regional High School in Tinton Falls, is one of four finalists for the 2024 National Teacher of the Year award, The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced. Nappi won the state's Teacher of the Year award in September 2023. The other finalists are Cat Walker from Alaska, Christy Todd from Georgia, and Missy Testerman from Tennessee. Nappi is the third Garden State educator to be a nati…
SEEN HIM? Retired Jersey Shore Corrections Officer In Child Sex Trafficking Case Now A Fugitive SEEN HIM? Retired Jersey Shore Corrections Officer In Child Sex Trafficking Case Now A Fugitive
Seen HIM? Retired Jersey Shore Corrections Officer In Child Sex Trafficking Case Now A Fugitive New Jersey authorities turned to the public for help Tuesday finding a retired New Jersey corrections officer who fled before he was stand to trial on charges of paying for sex with a trafficked minor. Kurt Young, 56, of South Dennis Township, was briefly jailed before being released following his arrest on Jan. 28, 2020, records show. Two co-defendants took pleas and got 15 to 20 years in state prison in exchange. Meanwhile, Young -- who investigators said was positively identified by the 14-year-old victim -- skipped out during jury selection for his trial in Cape May County las…
Undercover Bust: 5 People Seeking Sex With Teens Met By Detectives In PA, DA Says Undercover Bust: 5 People Seeking Sex With Teens Met By Detectives In PA, DA Says
Undercover Bust: 5 People Seeking Sex With Teens Met By Detectives In PA, DA Says Five people seeking sex with teens have been arrested in an undercover Berks County sting, authorities said. All five individuals responded to an ad, posted on Monday, Jan. 19 by detectives, offering sex with 14- and 15-year-old juveniles at various locations in Berks County, the county district attorney's office announced. The individuals agreed to meet up and have sex with the "teens," but instead were met by detectives and promptly arrested, District Attorney John T. Adams said. The following arrests were made, according to Adams: Richard Keene, 70, of Reading, charged with Traff…
New Englander Who Traveled To Jersey Shore For Back-Seat Sex With Pre-Teen Gets 20 Years New Englander Who Traveled To Jersey Shore For Back-Seat Sex With Pre-Teen Gets 20 Years
New Englander Who Traveled To Jersey Shore For Back-Seat Sex With Pre-Teen Gets 20 Years UPDATE: A New Hampshire man who recorded himself having sex in the back seat of his car with a 12-year-old child at the Jersey Shore must spend the next 20 years in federal prison. Scott Wilkinson, 39, must serve out the entire plea-bargained sentence because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Twenty years means 20 years. Wilkinson traveled nearly 400 miles from Concord, NH to Egg Harbor Township -- just outside Atlantic City -- to have sex with the child, the FBI said. He recorded it and uploaded the video from his phone to a Google Drive account, which was linked to his home…
Virginia Man Targeting Drug-Addled Women For Prostitution Ring In DMV Region Arrested: Police Virginia Man Targeting Drug-Addled Women For Prostitution Ring In DMV Region Arrested: Police
Virginia Man Targeting Drug-Addled Women For Prostitution Ring In DMV Region Arrested: Police A Virginia man who courted women suffering from drug addictions to help run an East Coast prostitution ring has been arrested, federal authorities announced. Brian Lamont Turner, 42, was arrested in his Charlottesville home on Wednesday following an hours-long standoff with police, who ultimately arrested him and accused him of posting hundreds of commercial sex ads for women in various cities.  Officials say that Turner violated the Mann Act, "a federal law that criminalizes the transportation of any woman or girl for the purpose of prostitution." The women he allegedly exploited wer…
Couple Tricked Cousin Into Indentured Servitude In Virginia: Feds Couple Tricked Cousin Into Indentured Servitude In Virginia: Feds
Couple Tricked Cousin Into Indentured Servitude In Virginia: Feds A couple who attempted to bring slavery back to Virginia are facing captivity of their own after being convicted by a federal jury of coercing a family member into the country to work for them under false pretenses. Harmanpreet Singh, 30, and Kulbir Kaur, 43, are facing prison time after being found guilty following a two-week trial for enticing the former's cousin to provide services for them at a gas station and convenience store in North Chesterfield in questionable conditions. “(This couple) engaged in an egregious bait-and-switch, luring the victim with false promises of an education i…
Philly Ex-Con Forced Captive Girls Into Prostitution At NJ Hotels: Indictment Philly Ex-Con Forced Captive Girls Into Prostitution At NJ Hotels: Indictment
Philly Ex-Con Forced Captive Girls Into Prostitution At NJ Hotels: Indictment An ex-con who was captured after a 15-year-old victim escaped from a South Jersey hotel room was indicted on a host of charges that include human trafficking, promoting prostitution and sexually assaulting minors, authorities announced on Thursday. Nieem Johnson, 40, whose last known address was in Philadelphia, was arrested in Atlantic City last Aug. 31 following a months-long state investigation, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. A second victim was rescued during the arrest, Platkin said in a Jan. 18 release. “The allegations in the indictment – holding two victims in a…
Newark Man Gave Drugs To Teenagers In Exchange For Sex: Authorities Newark Man Gave Drugs To Teenagers In Exchange For Sex: Authorities
Newark Man Gave Drugs To Teenagers In Exchange For Sex: Authorities A 25-year-old Newark man was arrested on Tuesday, Dec. 19  and charged with providing drugs to minors in exchange for sex, Morris County authorities said. Between Aug. 1 and Sept. 28 of last year, Nafis Wiggins, gave two victims, 14 and 15, narcotics in exchange for sexual favors, recruiting and luring them via text messages, Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Chief Thomas Miller of the Chatham Township Police Department said. Wiggins met the victims throughout Chatham Township and Chatham Borough, transporting them to secluded…
Middletown Prostitution Ring Leaders Charged Following Yearlong Investigation Middletown Prostitution Ring Leaders Charged Following Yearlong Investigation
Middletown Prostitution Ring Leaders Charged Following Yearlong Investigation Two men considered to e the alleged leaders of a large prostitution ring were charged following a yearlong investigation in the Hudson Valley.  Orange County residents Carlos Perez-Hernandez, age 46, and Bertha Correales, age 73, both of Middletown, were arrested around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 6, following a no-knock warrants search. During the execution of the search warrant, officers recovered ledgers detailing the schedule of prostitution activity, evidence of an accounting system for prostitution records, a large supply of contraceptives, and $3,089 in cash, said Lt. Je…
Alleged Reading Human Trafficker Ordered 'Hit' On Witness From Jail: AG Alleged Reading Human Trafficker Ordered 'Hit' On Witness From Jail: AG
Alleged Reading Human Trafficker Ordered 'Hit' On Witness From Jail: AG A Reading man accused in a human trafficking case was found guilty of ordering a "hit" on a testifying witness, according to prosecutors.  Dushawn O. Ellis, 34, was convicted by a Berks County jury Wednesday, Dec. 7 on charges of witness intimidation and obstruction of justice, said the state Attorney General's Office.  Ellis was in custody at the Berks County Prison when investigators say he offered another inmate $20,000 to assassinate the witness. The same day, authorities said he used "technology available to him inside the prison" to video call the witness and make the threat…
South Jersey Man Admits Selling Lethal Dose Of Heroin: Prosecutor South Jersey Man Admits Selling Lethal Dose Of Heroin: Prosecutor
South Jersey Man Admits Selling Lethal Dose Of Heroin: Prosecutor A 44-year-old man from Atlantic City — already serving a 60-year prison sentence — has admitted to selling a fatal dose of heroin, authorities said. Tahir Gregory pleaded guilty to first-degree drug-induced death stemming from Gregory’s distribution of a lethal dose of heroin to 31-year-old victim, M.E. Gregory admitted to knowingly selling heroin to the victim which ultimately led to her death on July 2, 2017. The sentence will be run concurrent to the 60-year state prison sentence he is currently serving after being convicted by an Atlantic County jury earlier this ye…
Frederick Massage Center Shut Down For Offering Sex Acts For Money: Sheriff Frederick Massage Center Shut Down For Offering Sex Acts For Money: Sheriff
Frederick Massage Center Shut Down For Offering Sex Acts For Money: Sheriff A wellness center in Maryland was offering customers a little more than just massages and is now closed, according to the Frederick County Sheriff's Office. On Wednesday, members of the county's "Human Trafficking Response Team" shut down the Wellness Massage Center on Presidents Court in Frederick following a lengthy investigation into illicit activities inside the building. According to investigators, it was determined that the business would provide certain sexual acts in exchange for money, and the business was issued a "stop work order" to prevent it from continuing to operate. Offici…
15 Men Caught In Undercover Sting At Cumberland County Hotel 15 Men Caught In Undercover Sting At Cumberland County Hotel
15 Men Caught In Undercover Sting At Cumberland County Hotel Fifteen men from across Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Colorado have been arrested while allegedly trying to meet with prostitutes at a Central Pennsylvania hotel. Instead of finding the women, the men thought they had communicated with to arrange for sex in exchange for cash, they found the Cumberland County Human Trafficking Task Force waiting to take them into custody, according to a release by the Cumberland County District Attorney's office on Wednesday, Oct. 4.  The men had really been in contact with undercover officers with the task force as they conducted "Operation Impact …
Central PA Massage Parlor Raid Turns Human Trafficking Ring Bust: DA Central PA Massage Parlor Raid Turns Human Trafficking Ring Bust: DA
Central PA Massage Parlor Raid Turns Human Trafficking Ring Bust: DA A 12-agency joint investigation has led to the downfall of a large-scale human trafficking ring across three Central Pennsylvania counties, authorities announced on Friday, Sept. 1. The sex and human trafficking ring was broken up by a year-long operation: Closed2Trafficking, which targeted 10 massage parlors in York, Dauphin, and Cumberland counties. District Attorney Sean McCormack released the following statement on the operation: “Since we began these operations targeting sex buyers who drive the demand for commercial sex, we have arrested 45 individuals. Every single dollar that …
Rapes, Beatings, Brandings: Married Paterson Sex Traffickers Who 'Defied Humanity' Go To Prison Rapes, Beatings, Brandings: Married Paterson Sex Traffickers Who 'Defied Humanity' Go To Prison
Rapes, Beatings, Brandings: Married Paterson Sex Traffickers Who 'Defied Humanity' Go To Prison A married Passaic County couple who operated a sex trafficking ring that raped, beat and branded women with the husband's name while he was in prison have been sentenced for their crimes, authorities announced. Enna Gonzalez, 58, was sentenced to a plea-bargained four years in federal prison last Thursday, July 6, by U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark for crimes that one federal official said “defy humanity.” Her husband, Jean “Poison” Noriega, 52, also took a deal from the government and was sentenced last month to 20 years in prison in exchange for a guilty plea, U.S. Attorn…
Undercover Investigation Leads Police To Human Trafficker In Frederick County: Sheriff Undercover Investigation Leads Police To Human Trafficker In Frederick County: Sheriff
Undercover Investigation Leads Police To Human Trafficker In Frederick County: Sheriff An extensive investigation into sex trafficking led to the arrest of a Hagerstown man who was allegedly exploiting women in Maryland, according to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office. Arcelius Dunbar Lyle III, 56, is facing multiple charges in Frederick County following an investigation involving several agencies that formed a “Human Trafficking Response Team. During the operation, undercover agents set up meetings with people from known websites that advertise prostitution in Frederick County. Once each woman arrived and contacted the undercover investigator, other investigators would …
Woman Forced Into Prostitution In Atlantic City By NYC Pair: Police Woman Forced Into Prostitution In Atlantic City By NYC Pair: Police
Woman Forced Into Prostitution In Atlantic City By NYC Pair: Police A woman was forced into prostitution in Atlantic City by a pair from New York City, authorities said. On June 17, at 10:09 a.m., Atlantic City Police Officers Corey Treadway and Tahsin Hossain responded to a motel in the 3000 block of Pacific Avenue for a report of human trafficking.  The officers spoke with an individual who reported that they believed a woman was being forced into prostitution.  The officers contacted the occupants of a motel room. After speaking with the victim, the other occupants in the room, Colin Sherwood and Jamy Mathis, were arrested, police said. An i…