Category: USDJ Human Trafficking

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. –  A Charlotte man and his co-conspirator were sentenced to prison today for sex trafficking a minor, announced Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina joins Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron in making today’s announcement.

Tawaan Batten, 34, also known as “Slicc,” was sentenced to 34 years in prison followed by 30 years of supervised release. In December 2023, Batten was convicted at trial of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, sex trafficking of a minor, and transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in commercial sexual activity. Batten’s co-conspirator, Kristi Heather King, 34, of Locust, N.C., was sentenced to 42 months in prison and a period of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor.

“Batten and his then-girlfriend preyed on a vulnerable child and repeatedly subjected her to physical and psychological harm for their profit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message: federal prosecutors and law enforcement are committed to ensuring that sex traffickers will face the full force of justice.”

“It is difficult to fathom that someone would sell a child for sex. But that is exactly what Batten and King did and now both of them will do federal prison for their crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge DeWitt. “The FBI works tirelessly to hold accountable those who carry out crimes against children, and we devote significant resources to help sex trafficking victims recover from the trauma they suffer.”

According to evidence presented at Batten’s trial, witness testimony, and court documents, from July 2021 to December 2021, Batten, at times assisted by King, sex trafficked a 15-year-old minor victim. Batten met the minor victim, who had run away from her home, in a hotel parking lot in Charlotte. Batten then introduced the minor victim to King, who was Batten’s girlfriend at the time. The minor victim began engaging in commercial sex transactions shortly after meeting Batten.

Trial evidence showed that Batten, at times assisted by King, created and posted advertisements of the minor victim on commercial sex websites and arranged for the minor victim to engage in sexual encounters with customers, usually multiple times a day. Most of these encounters took place in hotel rooms booked by Batten in North Carolina and South Carolina. Other times, Batten and King drove the minor victim to a customer’s location to engage in commercial sex. Batten kept the money the victim earned from these commercial sexual encounters and continued to have the victim work even when she was not feeling well.

According to testimony and evidence at Batten’s trial, Batten gave the minor victim drugs. Batten also controlled the minor victim through intimidation and manipulation, including branding the minor victim with tattoos. Batten also physically assaulted King multiple times.

Batten remains in federal custody pending placement to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.

In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron commended the FBI for leading this investigation and thanked the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for their invaluable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Spaugh and Daniel Cervantes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

If you are the victim of human trafficking or may have information about a potential trafficking situation, please call the FBI, local law enforcement, or the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888.  NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year related to potential trafficking victims, suspicious behaviors, and/or locations where trafficking is suspected to occur. To submit a tip to the NHTRC online please visit https://humantraffickinghotline.org/report-trafficking.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

PHOENIX, Ariz. – LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr., 46, of Colorado City, was sentenced on Wednesday by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to life in prison. On October 2, 2024, a jury convicted Bistline of one count of Receipt of Child Pornography; one count of Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor; two counts of Persuading or Coercing Travel to Engage in Sexual Activity; two counts of Using a Means of Interstate Commerce to Persuade or Coerce a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity; and two counts of Transportation of a Minor for Criminal Sexual Activity.

Bistline’s charges are based on his participation in a years-long child sexual abuse conspiracy that spanned several states and victimized at least 10 children. Bistline committed his crimes with others, including co-defendant Samuel Rappylee Bateman, the self-proclaimed leader of a religious sect based in Colorado City. Bateman and 10 of his other followers previously pleaded guilty to charges related to the child sexual abuse conspiracy and were not part of the trial against Bistline.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Bistline delivered two of his own daughters to Bateman to become child “brides” and be sexually abused when the girls were nine and 11 years old. Bistline and others transported the victims between states including Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona to facilitate the sexual abuse. Bistline also participated in group sexual activity involving children, including one event he watched over a video livestream.

The Phoenix Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. The United States Attorney’s Office continues to extend special gratitude to the Arizona Department of Child Safety for its work rescuing and protecting Arizona children impacted by this matter, the Colorado City Police Department, the Iron County (Utah) Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the St. George Resident Agency of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office for their assistance in this matter.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-8092-006-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-021_Bistline

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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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

One defendant also convicted of sex-trafficking victims through use of drug withdrawals, violence

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

BOSTON – A former anesthesiologist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston was sentenced today for attempted sex trafficking of a child.

Sadeq Ali Quraishi, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In October 2024, Quraishi was convicted of one count of attempted sex trafficking of a child.

“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of Mr. Quraishi’s heinous actions and underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting children from exploitation. Our office, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively pursue individuals who fuel the market for child sex trafficking and hold them accountable for their crimes. This sentence reflects our dedication to identifying those who prey on our most vulnerable and holding them accountable for their inhumane acts,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley.

“As a doctor, Quraishi was in a position of public trust. He abused that trust when he actively sought out and agreed to pay to sexually abuse a child. Fortunately, instead of the vulnerable child he planned to meet, he was met with an undercover HSI special agent,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “It is a heartbreaking truth that children are trafficked every day, but HSI remains steadfast in our commitment to fight the exploitation of children here in Massachusetts and around the world.”

In November 2022, law enforcement conducted an undercover operation designed to identify and apprehend people who sought to pay for sex with children. To that end, law enforcement placed advertisements online offering commercial sex with two young girls who were purportedly 12 and 14 years old.

Quraishi, then a practicing anesthesiologist at Tufts Medical Center, responded to one of the advertisements. Through an ensuing text conversation with undercover agents posing as the seller of the two girls, Quraishi agreed to pay $250 for a sex act to be performed by a 14-year-old girl. Shortly thereafter, Quraishi obtained cash from an ATM, and drove from his Boston home to a Waltham hotel to meet with the purported seller. Once at the hotel, he met with an undercover agent, confirmed he had the money to pay for the commercial sex act, and accepted a keycard he believed would give him access to the room where the 14-year-old girl would be. During that meeting, Quraishi was arrested and found to be in possession of exactly $250.

If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.

U.S. Attorney Foley and HSI SAC Krol made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian A. Fogerty of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit and Lauren A. Graber of Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson joined with law enforcement officials today to announce the capture of Tiwan Robert Bailey, also known as “Quick,” 48, of Charleston, on federal charges related to the sex trafficking of multiple victims, including a minor victim, and his efforts to obstruct the investigation and prosecution of those crimes.

Bailey was arrested on January 17, 2025, in Lexington, Kentucky. Bailey had been a fugitive since July 30, 2024, when federal law enforcement attempted to execute an arrest warrant that had been issued on July 23, 2024, based upon a federal grand jury indictment charging him with three felony counts.

“This is, once again, a great example of what happens when agencies work together,” Thompson said. “This was a high priority of all the law enforcement involved and a result of the time, energy and resources they have committed to this case.”

A six-count superseding indictment was handed up by a federal grand jury on October 16, 2024, against Bailey and two co-defendants: Carrie Roy, also known as “Carrie Ash,” 51, of Charleston; and David Lee White, 68, of Charleston and a former lawyer whose law license was annulled in 2018 by the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.

The superseding indictment was unsealed following Bailey’s arrest. It alleges Bailey and Roy aided and abetted each other to recruit, entice, harbor, provide, obtain, maintain, patronize and solicit a minor victim to participate in a venture that they knew would cause the minor victim to engage in a commercial sex act in December 2023 at or near Charleston and Rand. The indictment further alleges that Bailey and Roy conspired with others in the sex trafficking of the minor victim.

The superseding indictment alleges that Bailey recruited, enticed, harbored, provided, obtained, maintained, patronized and solicited three other victims to engage in commercial sex through force and coercion in and around November 2023 through in and around January 2024 at or near Charleston and Rand. The indictment also alleges that Bailey, aided and abetted by White, obstructed, attempted to obstruct, and interfered with the sex trafficking investigation and prosecution from on or about May 20, 2024, through on or about October 15, 2024, at or near Rand and elsewhere.

Bailey faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison if convicted. The superseding indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Thompson commended the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the United States Marshals Service and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office for their investigative work in this case and the the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the West Virginia Fusion Center for the assistance they provided.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-118.

A video of the press conference held for this announcement is available on the YouTube Channel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

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Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

El Paso, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced yesterday to 57 months in prison for conspiring with others from April 2021 through November 2023 to knowingly transport aliens who had illegally entered the United States.

According to court documents, since 2021 Mark Anthony Holguin, 28, supervised an alien smuggling organization that helped transport a significant number of  aliens from the Republic of Mexico into the United States at El Paso, Texas, and Santa Teresa New Mexico.

U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza stated: “Alien smuggling has become an epidemic in the El Paso community. We need to send a message to these criminals—at all levels of these organizations—that it will not be tolerated, and we will prosecute. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations were a vital part of this investigation in helping to dismantle this alien smuggling organization.” 

“The outcome of this criminal case should remind those involved in human smuggling that their criminal actions are neither going unnoticed nor undetected,” said Jason T. Stevens, special agent in charge for HSI El Paso. “HSI El Paso, jointly with our federal partners, is working tirelessly to secure our borders by identifying, arresting, and prosecuting transnational criminal organizations members responsible for illegally transporting people into and through our country.”

The United States Border Patrol and Department of Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Holderfield prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Joshua Lampley-Reid, also known as “Tio” and “Fendi,” and a member of the Makk Balla set of the Bloods street gang, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary R. Brown to 23 years in prison for sex trafficking of minors.  Lampley-Reid operated as a “pimp,” using violence and the threat of violence to compel the commission of commercial sex acts for his financial benefit, including by minors as young as 15 years old.  Lampley-Reid pleaded guilty to the charge in August 2022.

Carolyn Pokorny, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI) and Errol D. Toulon, Jr., Suffolk County Sheriff, announced the sentence.

“The defendant is a ruthless predator who exploited vulnerable minors without families or homes, and sexually trafficked them for his own financial gain,” stated Acting United States Attorney Pokorny.  “He is deserving of today’s significant jail sentence for the horrific physical and psychological abuse he inflicted on the victims, which, unfortunately, will continue to affect them for years to come.  It is my sincere hope that the justice meted out today will provide some measure of comfort to these young women and help them on their journey to healing.”

“This sentence brings some justice to the minors victimized by this dangerous predator who is now put away from causing any further harm to our community’s most vulnerable members,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Walker.  “Our children deserve to be protected from this violence and shielded from the lifelong trauma that accompanies it. HSI works collectively with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to bring an end to child exploitation and sex trafficking. Prosecuting those who seek to exploit children for their own self-gratification or greed is one of our top priorities.”

“The sentencing of this dangerous gang member is a clear message that those who prey on the most vulnerable members of our community will be held accountable,” stated Suffolk County Sheriff Toulon.  “The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office is committed to continuing to fight human trafficking and working tirelessly with our federal and local partners to ensure that justice is served and that survivors are supported in their journey toward recovery.”

As set forth in the government’s sentencing memorandum and other court documents, in December 2019, Lampley-Reid began recruiting females, including Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, to engage in commercial sex acts for his own financial benefit.  The defendant used social media and other internet applications to establish relationships with potential victims and groomed them by conveying a romantic interest in them, manipulating them into performing commercial sex acts and then effectively enslaving them through acts of force and coercion.  The defendant directed when, where and with whom the commercial sex acts would be performed.  The defendant met resistance to his commands, or failure to pay him, with violence or the threat of violence.  To maintain control over his victims, the defendant alternately showed affection and acted violently, not only beating and choking his victims, but also withholding food and other basic necessities.  This psychological and emotional abuse was depicted in videos recovered from the defendant’s cellular telephone.  He tracked his victims’ phones, threatened their families and stalked them after they left him.  The defendant used his association with the Makk Balla set of the Bloods street gang to terrorize them.  He also engaged in sexual intercourse with his minor victims, which he often video recorded, and managed his prostitution business over the Internet, posting sexually exploitative photos of minor victims that he took or persuaded them to take of themselves in order to further his trafficking business.  Although this conduct was concentrated in Nassau County, the defendant also transported certain victims to other states, including Florida, North Carolina and Maryland.   

If you are a victim or have information about sex trafficking, call HSI at 1-866-347-2423.  To get help from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, call 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733).  HSI is ready to work with you in your native language, regardless of your immigration status.           

The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division.  Assistant United States Attorney Megan E. Farrell is in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendant:

JOSHUA LAMPLEY-REID (also known as “Tio” and “Fendi”)
Age:  30
West Hempstead, Long Island

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-319 (S-1) (GRB)

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

HARRISONBURG, Va. – A Maryland man, who used the drug dependency of multiple adult women to compel them to engage in commercial sex work, was sentenced today to 18 years in federal prison.

William O’Neil Murray III, 36, pled guilty in August 2024 to one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. In addition to jail time, Murray was also ordered to pay $94,190 in restitution to his victims.

“The fight against human trafficking is a cornerstone of the Department of Justice,” Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said today. “Every day the men and women who investigate and prosecute these cases fight to protect those who are victims of these heinous crimes. I am grateful to the FBI, Virginia State Police, and Frederick County Sheriff’s Office for bringing this matter to justice.”

“This sentencing is a powerful reminder that the FBI Richmond team will tirelessly work to free victims of sex trafficking and bring to justice those who seek to exploit their vulnerabilities for personal gain,” said Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division. “I commend our team and partners on the I-81 Human Trafficking Task Force who investigated these heinous crimes here in Virginia and along the east coast.  Every month, and especially during Human Trafficking Awareness month, we encourage the public to recognize the signs of human trafficking and report concerns to tips.fbi.gov.”

According to court documents, beginning in December 2021 and continuing through July 2022, Murray engaged in a multistate sex trafficking operation involving at least three adult female victims.  Murray recruited and coerced his victims into commercial sex work using their drug dependency as his primary method of control.

Murray controlled his victims’ narcotics supply and usage, not allowing them to obtain drugs from anyone but himself. Murray would withhold drugs from his victims if they did not follow his directions or engage in commercial sex.  Many of the victims described becoming “dopesick” when Murray withheld drugs from them. Thus, Murray stood between them and the threat of painful withdrawal. Murray knew that withholding drugs from the victims would have a coercive effect and incentivize them to obey him and continue engaging in commercial sex.

Murray managed every aspect of the commercial sex transactions for his victims. The defendant used various commercial sex websites, such as Skipthegames.com and Backpage.com, to set up dates with commercial sex customers, set the prices, booked the hotel rooms, and transported his victims to the dates. And in most cases, Murray received all the proceeds from the commercial sex acts.

Murray maintained strict control over his victims’ activities including requiring them to stay in communication with him while they completed their commercial sex “dates.” Victims were not allowed to go anywhere without Murray’s permission and were punished if they did so.

The criminal behavior occurred in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, West Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and Florida.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s I-81 Human Trafficking Task Force (I-81 HTTF), the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia State Police investigated the case.

The I-81 HTTF is a collaborative effort of law enforcement and community partners focused on identifying instances of human trafficking along the I-81 corridor in the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland; prosecuting those responsible; and providing assistance to the victims impacted by these crimes.  The I-81 HTTF includes law enforcement from Frederick, Clarke, and Shenandoah counties as well as the cities and towns of Front Royal, Hagerstown, and Frederick, Maryland, and Lord Fairfax Community College.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie Smith, Sally J. Sullivan and Trial Attorney Christina Randall-James with the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit of the Department of Justice are prosecuting the case for the United States. 

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that APOLINAR FRANCISCO PAREDES ESPINOZA, also known as “Pancho,” 58, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to charges stemming from his involvement in a scheme to smuggle aliens into the U.S., harbor them at Hartford area residences, force them to work, and threaten to harm them in various ways if they failed to pay exorbitant fees, interest, and other living expenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in September 2022, the FBI and Hartford Police interviewed several Mexican nationals who disclosed that they were smuggled from Mexico into the U.S. and transported to Hartford.  The investigation revealed that victims typically arranged with Maria Del Carmen Sanchez Potrero, her co-conspirators in Connecticut, and associates in Mexico to cross the border into the U.S. in exchange for a fee of between $15,000 and $20,000 that each would need to pay once they were in the U.S.  In most cases, the victims were required to turn over a property deed as collateral before leaving Mexico.  They were then smuggled across the border and transported to Hartford area residences, including Sanchez’s and Paredes’ residence on Madison Street in Hartford, often at a substantial risk of bodily injury or death.

After the victims arrived in Connecticut, they were told that they would have to pay $30,000, with interest, and that they would have to pay Sanchez and her co-coconspirators for rent, food, gas and utilities.  Sanchez, Paredes, and their co-conspirators created false documents for the victims, including Permanent Residence cards and Social Security cards, and helped the victims find employment in the Hartford area.  In addition to their own jobs, some victims were required to perform housework and yardwork, or to assist Paredes in his job responsibilities, without compensation and without having their debt reduced.

Victims were rarely provided with an accounting of their debt.  If victims failed to make regular payments, or in amounts that Sanchez, Paredes, and their co-conspirators expected, they were sometimes threatened, including with threats to harm family members in Mexico, to take property in Mexico that had been secured as collateral, to reveal victims’ immigration status to U.S. authorities, and to raise their interest payments.

To date, investigators have identified 18 victims of this scheme.

In November 2014, Paredes was encountered in the U.S. and removed the same day via foot at Hildago, Texas.  He illegally reentered the U.S. and, in December 2018, was arrested by East Hartford Police and charged with various motor vehicle offenses.  He was again removed to Mexico in February 2019.

Paredes has been detained since his arrest on March 1, 2023.

Paredes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to encourage and induce, bring in, transport, and harbor aliens, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and to illegal reentry of a removed alien, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of two years.  Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for February 28.

Sanchez and her daughter, Porfiria Maribel Ramos Sanchez, previously pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

As part of their plea agreements, Paredes, Sanchez, and Ramos, have agreed to restitution orders of $494,608.

This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hartford Police Department, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel Krull and Shan Patel.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

Members of the Sex Trafficking Ring Shared Videos and Photos Depicting Violence Against Sex Workers to Instill Fear and Drive out Competitors