Category: USDJ Human Trafficking

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man pleaded guilty in federal court here today to sex trafficking and racketeering.

The parties involved in this case have recommended a sentence of more than 19 years up to 25 years in prison for Terrael A. Alls, 29.

According to court documents, in February 2022, the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force received a tip from a Columbus Division of Police emergency operator. According to the tip, an individual had contacted authorities after receiving a business card from a man advertising a modeling agency.  The caller received the card at the Red Roof Inn on Renner Road in Columbus. The business card was for a company called Elite Diamond Studios and the advertised phone number were ultimately linked to Alls’s as well as various online sex escort advertisements.

Alls, who is also known as “Rell” and “Ace,” recruited women under the guise of modeling for him as a photographer. He served as a pimp for his victims, advertising them for sexual escort services on various websites. Alls transported his victims to and from hotels while giving them drugs, such as fentanyl and methamphetamine, then later using their drug dependency against them to continue profiting from their commercial sex acts. Alls was frequently physically abusive to his victims as well. For example, he fired a gun near a victim’s head and threatened to pistol-whip her. He also punched the victims and slammed them onto tables.

Alls kept the proceeds of the victims’ sexual encounters.

A forensic examination of Alls’s digital devices revealed location data or WiFi logins at several hotels, including Scarlet Inn in Worthington, Motel 6 in Grove City and Red Roof Inn in Columbus. The defendant’s laptop had more than 42,000 sexually explicit images, videos and advertisements to include images and videos of the victims identified in this case.

Alls was arrested in March 2023.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States in this case.

The case was investigated by the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed under Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, and includes resources from the Columbus Division of Police, Homeland Security Investigations, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Powell Police Department, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, The Ohio State University Police Department, Marysville Division of Police, Salvation Army, Southeast Healthcare, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office and the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office.

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Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Thank you, Tony. And good afternoon, everyone.

We are all familiar with the horrors of human trafficking.

But I want to begin by highlighting just a few stories that capture the urgency of our work together.

Last year, the Justice Department secured a 35-year sentence and an order to pay nearly $1 million in restitution against an individual in Louisiana who used sexual abuse, violence, withholding of food, and other forms of abuse to compel multiple minors to work for his business.

The Department secured the sentences of a mother and son, for 30 and six years respectively, and an order to pay over $840,000 in restitution, for luring vulnerable victims from Mexico — some as young as 16 — and compelling them into commercial sex at the mother’s bar.

And the Department secured a sentence of six life terms in federal prison and an order to pay $68,000 in restitution against an individual who forced women struggling with homelessness or substance use disorders to engage in commercial sex.

These cases represent a small fraction of the work we have done to combat trafficking crimes and pursue justice for the victims.

Since our last meeting, the Justice Department has continued our work to implement our National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking.

That has included bringing human trafficking prosecutions across the country. During the last year, the Justice Department secured almost 300 convictions of defendants on both sex trafficking and labor trafficking charges.

The Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys also convened a Human Trafficking Working Group to guide all 94 U.S. Attorneys in combating human trafficking in their respective Districts.

The FBI established a specialized anti-trafficking team in its Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Unit to disseminate victim-centered, trauma-informed expertise to FBI’s 56 Field Offices.

The Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit led the interagency Forced Labor Initiative Steering Group in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting forced labor, with a focus on forced child labor crimes.

Last summer, the Department released its National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction which covers child sex trafficking and complements the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking.

And through the Department’s Office for Victims of Crime we issued over $95 million in grant funding for direct victim services and legal assistance, and for specialized training and technical assistance on the needs of labor trafficking victims.

In the year ahead, we plan to expand on this work across components and across the country.

The perpetrators of human trafficking prey on vulnerable people for profit. In so doing, they attempt to undermine not only victims’ sense of safety, but their dignity.

The Justice Department will continue to use every tool we have to combat human trafficking and to vindicate the rights of victims and survivors.

We look forward to continuing to work alongside each of you in that effort.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – February 12, 2024

SAN DIEGO – Gabriel Joseph Gonzalez of Pomona, California was sentenced in federal court today to 12 years in prison for sex trafficking a 15-year-old girl in early 2023.

Gonzalez pleaded guilty in July 2023 to one count of sex trafficking of a minor. The victim was a runaway living at a group home in Los Angeles County when Gonzalez began trafficking her. Gonzalez had known the victim since she was 13. He enticed her to leave the group home to engage in commercial sex work for Gonzalez’s financial benefit. He then transported the victim to San Diego and forced her to walk areas known for prostitution on Dalbergia Street in San Diego and Roosevelt Avenue in National City.

During January 2023, Gonzalez forced the victim to engage in commercial sex work every day for seven straight days– except for the victim’s 16th birthday. He allowed her to take that day “off.”

The victim escaped by calling 911. She was rescued by the San Diego Police Department on January 26, 2023, and the case was turned over to the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force.

Even after entering a guilty plea in July 2023, Gonzalez attempted to continue to traffic the victim while in custody through jail calls. U.S. District Judge Larry Alan Burns pronounced the 12-year sentence, noting Gonzalez’s “absolute lack of remorse” in his conduct while in custody and his continued victimization of the minor.

“The victim’s courage to call 911 in this case was extraordinary,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Her trust in law enforcement demonstrated that when someone reports abuse, the public servants in this community are all hands on deck to bring abusers to justice.”

“Human trafficking and sexual exploitation of a minor is inexcusable,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “At the California Department of Justice, we are fighting to hold perpetrators accountable and help survivors get a fresh start. I’m thankful to all our partners for their collaboration in the California DOJ-led San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force. I’m proud of our office’s work to help uplift vulnerable Californians. When we work together, we get results.”

“The vital work being done by local and federal partners on the Human Trafficking Task Force to combat sex trafficking cannot be quantified,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “The violence or coercion that is committed against sex trafficking victims can have a lasting negative impact on the victim, their families, and the community for years to come.”

If you are living or working under threat of violence or extortion, or you suspect someone else may be, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center toll free, 24/7 Hotline: CALL: (888) 373-7888 or TEXT BeFree or 233733.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Ko and Lyndzie M. Carter.

DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 23-cr-0513-LAB                              

Gabriel Joseph Gonzalez                                            Age: 20                                   Pomona, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Sex Trafficking of a Minor – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1591(a) and (b)(1)

Maximum penalty: Up to life in prison and $250,000 fine; Ten-year mandatory minimum sentence

AGENCY

San Diego Police Department

National City Police Department

Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Diego

San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Dinero Devon Washington, 46, of Phoenix, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 24 months in prison, to be followed by 36 months of supervised release. Washington pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens on September 7, 2023.

On April 16, 2021, Washington and his co-conspirator, Alina Pablo, approached the fixed Border Patrol checkpoint in Ajo in a Ford F-150. Border Patrol agents noted five other passengers in the vehicle, all wearing camouflaged clothing with backpacks and carpeting on their shoes, indicators of having recently crossed the border between Mexico and the United States. Questioning by agents confirmed that all five passengers were citizens and nationals of Mexico or Guatemala with no permission to enter the United States and had recently been picked up by Washington and Pablo. Subsequent searches of Washington’s cell phone revealed detailed evidence of the planning and logistics of the smuggling effort, including pin drops, maps, and text messages. Pablo, Washington’s co-conspirator, pleaded guilty to her role in the offense and will be sentenced later this year.

Homeland Security Investigations-Phoenix office conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Uhl, District of Arizona, Yuma, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:            CR-22-00544-MTL-2
RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-116_Washington

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

SAN ANTONIO – A Kaufman man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 97 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to transport undocumented noncitizens.

According to court documents, Fredi Zagala-Servin, 40, was a longtime leader and organizer of a human smuggling organization (HSO) that smuggled hundreds of undocumented noncitizens from Laredo to San Antonio inside tractor trailers. He would speak with a co-conspirator in Mexico and provide another co-conspirator with pick-up locations for the drivers to load migrants into the tractor trailers in Laredo. He would then monitor the load throughout the transport and relay updates between the parties. Zagala-Servin was involved in the coordination of at least 10 human smuggling events for financial gain with the HSO. He was arrested June 23, 2022 and has remained in federal custody.

In May 2021, the Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division began investigating the criminal activity of the HSO. HSI was able to link at least 19 human smuggling events involving the actual apprehension of more than 900 aliens to the HSO. Between May 2021 and June 2022, HSI interdicted nine of the HSO’s tractor trailers carrying smuggled noncitizens. The loads ranged from approximately 30 to more than 100 migrants travelling in a single trailer.

In addition to imprisonment, Zagala-Servin was ordered three years supervised release and a money judgement of $410,250.

“This human smuggling organization put the lives of hundreds of migrants in jeopardy by transporting them across south Texas in tractor trailers,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “It is important that people like this defendant, who endanger those lives for profit, are held accountable by our justice system. I commend our partners at HSI and all of Joint Task Force Alpha for their investigative skills and their tireless efforts to uncover this criminal conspiracy.”

“This sentencing sends a clear message to those thinking of engaging in human smuggling activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for the HSI San Antonio Division. “HSI and our law enforcement partners take an aggressive stance against human smuggling, and we will continue to work together to investigate and ultimately dismantle these criminal organizations.”

HSI and JTFA investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Brown prosecuted the case.

These charges resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA).  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas is part of the JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security. JTFA is comprised of detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California. Dedicated support is also provided by numerous components of the Criminal Division that are part of JTFA, led by HRSP, and supported by ODPAT, the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, OIA, and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners.  To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 270 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of human smuggling; over 210 convictions; significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets. 

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Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man who served as a soldier in a transnational criminal organization (TCO) pleaded guilty in a federal court in El Paso to kidnapping resulting in death.

According to court documents, Armando Leonardo Moreno aka Cholo, 21, conspired with other TCO members on or around Sept. 13, 2021, to kidnap a subject from an El Paso stash house. The kidnappers drove the subject to another address, dragged him out of the vehicle and beat him in the front yard of the home before taking him inside and beating him further. On Sept. 16, 2021, the subject was found deceased in Las Cruces, New Mexico, with multiple gunshot and stab wounds.

Moreno faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Codefendant Michelle Karen Avila was previously sentenced to 120 months in prison, while codefendant Ruben Pimentel was sentenced to 188 months. Codefendants Alberto Rodriguez and Ricardo Matthew Gutierrez remain in federal custody awaiting sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

Homeland Security Investigations, the El Paso Police Department, the New Mexico State Police, and the Texas Department of Public Safety are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Valenzuela and Ian Hanna are prosecuting the case.

These charges resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA).  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas is part of the JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security. JTFA is comprised of detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California. Dedicated support is also provided by numerous components of the Criminal Division that are part of JTFA, led by HRSP, and supported by ODPAT, the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, OIA, and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners.  To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 270 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of human smuggling; over 210 convictions; significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets. 

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Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to 24 years in federal prison for recruiting four children to engage in sex acts for money.

On multiple occasions in 2017, DARYL S. ARNOLD arranged for the four victims, all of whom were under 18 years old, to meet with individuals to engage in commercial sex acts in the Chicago area.  Arnold used websites such as Backpage to advertise the commercial sex acts and find customers.  Afterward, Arnold kept half of the proceeds.

Arnold, 48, pleaded guilty in 2022 to four counts of sex trafficking of a minor.  In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso on Friday ordered Arnold to pay $136,700 in restitution to the victims.  The prison term will be followed by ten years of court-supervised release.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance.

Arnold’s arrest was part of Operation Cross Country XI, a nationwide law enforcement effort to combat underage human trafficking.

“Defendant’s tactic of grooming minors is extremely dangerous because of the ease with which it can be implemented,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Mulaney argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “He ‘sold the dream’ with a false promise of independence and love.”

If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-843-5678 or logging on to www.cybertipline.com.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

TOLEDO – Jeffrey Deitsch, 36, of St. Marys and later Spencerville, Ohio, was sentenced on February 1, 2024, to 210 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick, after he pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor and transportation of a minor across state lines for illicit sexual activity. Deitsch was also sentenced to 25 years of supervised release after he serves his prison term and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment and an additional assessment of $5,000 under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.

According to court documents, Deitsch met a 15-year-old Illinois girl online, drove from Ohio to Illinois less than a week later, and transported her back to Ohio where he engaged in illicit sexual activity with her. On June 25, 2020, Allen County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a hotel in Lima after receiving a report that the Illinois runaway was staying there with Deitsch, who was more than twice her age. Sheriff’s Deputies located the victim who later advised that Deitsch had told her to tell anyone who asked that she was 18. Deitsch admitted to law enforcement that he knew the victim’s age before transporting her and engaging in the sex acts.

Deitsch had just been released from state prison the month before, after having served a prison term for abduction of a different female.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Lima, Ohio. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Tracey Tangeman and Angelita Cruz Bridges.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

WASHINGTON – Today, INTERPOL Washington announced the establishment of the Missing Person Unit (MPU), a new unit dedicated to leveraging the extensive INTERPOL network, cutting-edge technology, and specialized expertise to bolster efforts in locating missing individuals anywhere in the world.

“The launch of the MPU marks a significant stride towards enhancing global law enforcement cooperation, bringing closure to families, and ensuring justice for missing persons,” said INTERPOL Washington Director Michael A. Hughes. “By integrating the unit into our operational framework, we are reinforcing our commitment to working with countries all over the globe to build a safer world together.”

The MPU is a unit within INTERPOL Washington’s Global Police Services (GPS) Division and will use its resources, technology, and expertise to assist foreign and domestic law enforcement agencies and families in locating missing individuals. The unit will collaborate with INTERPOL’s global network of 196 member countries and partners to share information, coordinate efforts, and enhance cross-border cooperation in locating missing persons.

Using INTERPOL tools and the INTERPOL Washington team of experts in various fields, including law enforcement, the MPU will provide specialized support and guidance to domestic and foreign law enforcement agencies working on missing persons cases. MPU will also provide access to INTERPOL’s extensive databases, which contain DNA, unidentified bodies, fingerprints, facial recognition, and other information.

These INTERPOL tools include:

• Yellow Notices, which are INTERPOL alerts issued to help locate missing persons, often minors, or to help identify persons who are unable to identify themselves.
• Black Notices, which are an INTERPOL alert issued to seek information about unidentified bodies.
• INTERPOL’s I-Familia service, which provides the necessary international mechanism to allow missing persons DNA data to be compared globally.

MPU’s establishment reflects INTERPOL Washington’s continuing proactive approach to addressing missing persons cases and emphasizes the agency’s dedication to bolstering global law enforcement cooperation.

A component of the U.S. Department of Justice co-managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, INTERPOL Washington—the U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB)—is the designated U.S. representative to INTERPOL. It serves as the national point of contact and coordination for all INTERPOL matters, coordinating international investigative efforts among member countries and the more than 18,000 local, state, federal, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to nearly 24 years in federal prison for recruiting two children to travel to Chicago from Indiana to engage in sex acts for money.

A jury in 2022 convicted KENNEDY SPENCER, 55, of Chicago, on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.  U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey imposed the sentence on Jan. 25, 2024, during a hearing in federal court in Chicago.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Tinley Park, Ill. Police Department and the FBI Resident Agency in South Bend, Ind.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Erskine and Erika L. Csicsila.

According to evidence presented at trial, the victims were under the age of 18 when Spencer induced them to travel to Chicago in the spring of 2018.  Once in the city, Spencer on multiple occasions arranged for the victims to meet with individuals to engage in commercial sex acts.    A co-conspirator – RONALD WILLIAMS, 65, of Lynwood, Ill. – drove the victims to some of the meetings. Afterward, Spencer and Williams kept the bulk of the proceeds.

Both victims testified at trial about having been sex trafficked by Spencer and Williams.

Williams was also convicted on trafficking and conspiracy charges.  He was sentenced in 2023 to 15 years in federal prison.

If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-843-5678 or logging on to www.cybertipline.com.