Michelle
Matney, 38, of Greensboro, N.C., pleaded guilty Friday, February 8, 2013,
for her role as the leader of an interstate prostitution organization and to
conspiracy to persuade others to travel to engage in prostitution. This case
was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland
Security Investigations (HSI) and Henrico County Police Division. John
P. Torres, special agent in charge for HSI Washington, D.C.; U.S. Attorney Neil
H. MacBride, Eastern District of Virginia; and Chief of Police Douglas A.
Middleton, Henrico County Police Division, made the announcement after the plea
was accepted by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Matney faces a maximum
penalty of five years of incarceration when she is sentenced on May 10, 2013. In
a statement of facts filed with her plea agreement, Matney admitted to
recruiting and supervising numerous prostitutes from 2010 through 2012. She
acknowledged that she would recruit prostitutes to work for her, encourage them
to travel to various states other than North
Carolina, where she was based, to work as
prostitutes, post prostitution advertisements online for them and set up
prostitution appointments with clients. In
exchange, Matney received a portion of the earnings that the women made from
prostitution. Matney came to the attention of law enforcement after the Henrico
County Police Department arrested several women for prostitution who stated
that they were working for Matney. Assistant
U.S. Attorneys Jamie L. Mickelson and Roderick C. Young are prosecuting the
case on behalf of the United
States.
A
Guatemalan national who admitted playing a central role in a large-scale human
smuggling organization that brought thousands of illegal aliens from Central
America to Southern California, often holding them against their will in
so-called drop houses, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison. Fredy
Oswaldo Gamez Reyes, 44, was sentenced Wednesday, February 6, 2013, by Judge S.
James Otero, who pointed to the smuggling organization's tactics, including the
use of weapons and guard dogs to intimidate the illegal aliens, as the basis
for the 96-month prison term. Gamez
pleaded guilty in May 2012 to six criminal counts of harboring and concealing
illegal aliens for financial gain, following a probe by U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). According
to court documents, Gamez acknowledged he served as a supervisor for a criminal
organization that smuggled more than 6,000 illegal aliens into Southern California during a three-year period, beginning
in 2008, generating an estimated $10 million in income.
HSI's
probe revealed Gamez held a number of jobs within the organization, including
locating and renting drop houses, overseeing the operation of those locations,
and collecting smuggling fees from the illegal aliens' relatives in exchange
for the illegal aliens' release. HSI's investigation also uncovered numerous
incidents perpetrated by members of the organization involving beatings, sexual
assaults and hostage taking. "As
this sentence makes clear, those who exploit people in this brutal and
despicable way will themselves face serious consequences," said Claude
Arnold, special agent in charge for HSI Los Angeles. "Alien smugglers view
their clients as nothing more than a payday and they have no qualms about using
threats and violence to collect their smuggling fees." The
smuggling organization originally came to authorities' attention in July 2009
after HSI special agents and Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies responded to
a drop house in Compton
where 20 individuals were reportedly being held against their will. Two of the
captive aliens wrote a plea for help on a napkin and threw it out the window,
where it was found by neighborhood children. Evidence
uncovered during the ensuing the investigation showed Gamez was responsible for
overseeing the operation of the Compton
location, along with three other human smuggling drop houses in Baldwin Park, Lynwood
and Hesperia. HSI's
investigation into this smuggling organization is ongoing. To date, 11 other
individuals involved in the ring have been arrested and/or convicted of federal
charges, resulting in sentences of 33 to 51 months.
U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton delivered a
keynote address to the Anti-Human Trafficking Symposium at GeorgetownUniversity,
Wednesday, January 30, 2013. The
event brought government, academic, not for profit and business leaders
together to help reimagine the ongoing fight against human trafficking. Other
keynote speakers included actress Mira Sorvino, a United Nations Goodwill
Ambassador on Human Trafficking and Tony West, acting associate attorney
general. "It's
fitting for us to meet during National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention
Month to discuss the crime of human trafficking," said Morton. "The
grim reality is that human trafficking and sexual exploitation are a very real
part of the modern world… To defeat human trafficking we must attack it
relentlessly. There is no other way. There is no other answer. It is simply one
of the great wrongs of our time. And attack it we will." In
his address, Morton discussed ICE's recent successes combatting human
trafficking, including this January's conclusion of Operation Dark Night, an
investigation that uncovered an organized prostitution ring operating
throughout the southeast United
States. He
also discussed the victim-centered approach taken by ICE's Homeland Security
Investigations (HSI), placing their identification, rescue and stabilization on
equal value with the apprehension and prosecution of the trafficker. "I
think we will all agree that human trafficking provokes our justifiable and
righteous anger," said Morton. "Let's bring our outrage to the
offense."
A
southern Minnesota man was sentenced in federal court Thursday, January 31,
2013, for transporting illegal aliens. The
sentence resulted from an investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in cooperation with
the St. Peter Police Department, the Nicollet County Sheriff's Office, the
LeSueur County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal
Apprehension. John
Arrazolo, 44 of St. Peter, Minn., was sentenced to three years
probation, six months home confinement, and a $2,000 fine on one count of
transporting illegal aliens. Arrazolo was indicted on April 16 and pleaded
guilty Aug. 16. "Those
who transport or harbor illegal aliens require secrecy and often coercion to
succeed," said Special Agent in Charge Michael Feinberg, of HSI St. Paul.
"HSI works with our state and local law enforcement partners to bring
justice to anyone who exploits others for illegal profit." In
his plea agreement, Arrazolo admitted that between October 2006 and October
2011, he transported two illegal aliens from Texas
to Minnesota
to work in his business. Arrazolo's
company, Poultry Service Management, provided manual labor to large corporate
chicken farms in Minnesota
and the surrounding area. The workers loaded chickens for shipping, vaccinated
chickens, trimmed chicken beaks and provided other general labor as requested
by the poultry producers. Arrazolo
admitted that one of the individuals he transported was a citizen of Mexico, and that he knew the individual was not
a U.S. citizen when he
transported him from Texas to Minnesota.
Two
Brazilian nationals pleaded guilty Wednesday, January 16, 2013, to smuggling
illegal aliens into the United
States for profit. The guilty plea follows
an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland
Security Investigations (HSI). Juliana
Rose Tome-Froes, 36, and her husband, Fabio Rodrigues Froes, 49, pleaded guilty
to six counts of bringing and attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and two
counts of bringing and attempting to bring aliens to the United States
for private financial gain. According
to plea documents, from at least October 2008 until approximately September
2010, the defendants organized, operated and managed a human smuggling network
that operated in Brazil, France, England,
the Bahamas and the United States.
The defendants met with illegal aliens and negotiated forms of payment to be
smuggled into the United
States. Before the illegal aliens departed Brazil, the defendants instructed them to act
like tourists and explained that the itinerary through Europe
would support a tourist cover story. In exchange for approximately $16,000,
Tome-Froes, with assistance from Froes, arranged air transportation from Brazil to Paris,
then London and Nassau, Bahamas.
Tome-Froes arranged the illegal aliens' lodging in Paris
and Nassau, and then instructed them to fly to Freeport, Bahamas,
where they waited for a boat to transport them to the United States.
For the final leg into the United States,
Tome-Froes coordinated with various individuals in South Florida to pilot a
small boat to Freeport, which picked up the
illegal aliens and transported them to the United States. At
sentencing, scheduled for March 21, Tome-Froes faces a maximum penalty of 15
years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and Froes faces a maximum penalty of 10
years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
On
Thursday, January 17, 2013, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
announced the results of a lengthy investigation, called Operation Dark Night,
into a sex trafficking ring operating in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.
The investigation, which was led by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations
(HSI), led to a takedown Wednesday, January 16, 2013, in which authorities made
13 criminal arrests and 44 administrative arrests tied to the investigation, as
well as the rescue of as many as 11 victims. "ICE
investigates a wide array of crimes, but the trafficking of women and girls for
prostitution is among the most sinister," said ICE Director John Morton.
"Few crimes so damage their victims and undermine basic human decency. Our
fight against this evil must be relentless, both here and abroad." U.S.
Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia Edward Tarver said, "In what
essentially amounts to slavery in the year 2013, the conduct described in the
indictment against these defendants is reprehensible. This case is a prime
example of the United States Attorney's Office and HSI recognizing that human
trafficking is a cancer facing our society and taking a stand to stop the
victimization of women involved in sex trafficking." According
to the indictment, Joaquin Mendez-Hernandez, aka El Flaco, conspired with each
of the other defendants to transport people across interstate boundaries to
engage in prostitution. In addition, Mendez-Hernandez allegedly conspired with
at least three others to entice women from Mexico,
Nicaragua and elsewhere to
travel to the United States
with false promises of the American dream. Once inside the United States, these women were allegedly
threatened and forced to commit acts of prostitution at numerous locations in Savannah and throughout
the Southeast. In one such instance identified in the indictment,
Mendez-Hernandez is alleged to have told a Mexican woman that she would be sent
back to her home country unless she serviced 25 clients a day. HSI
provides relief to victims of human trafficking by allowing for their continued
presence in the United
States during criminal proceedings. Victims
may also qualify for a T visa, which is issued to victims of human trafficking
who have complied with reasonable requests for assistance in investigations and
prosecutions. Anyone who suspects instances of human trafficking is encouraged
to call the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE
(866-347-2423) or the Human Trafficking Hotline at
1-888-373-7888. Anonymous calls are welcome. Operation
Dark Night was led by HSI, with assistance from the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP);
CBP Air and Marine Operations; the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal
Investigations; the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department; the
Chatham County Sheriff's Office; the Garden City Police Department; and, the
Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tania D.
Groover and E. Greg Gilluly Jr. are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
A New York man was convicted after a jury trial before U.S. District Judge
Richard J. Arcara of sex trafficking by force, sex trafficking of a minor by
force and sex trafficking of a minor. When sentenced, he faces up to life in
prison and a $250,000 fine. The conviction is the result of an extensive
investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland
Security Investigations (HSI) and local law enforcement agencies.
Between winter 2010 and August 2012, Kenneth Graham, 25, of Amherst, N.Y.,
recruited, promoted and profited from the prostitution activities of two minor
girls knowing that the girls were under the age of 18. Graham also recruited,
promoted and profited from a third victim, a woman in her 20s.
Graham placed
advertisements on the website "backpage." One ad read,
"Amazingly Sexy Sweet Petite Companion 20 working out of the airport
area." The acts took place in various hotels in the towns of Amherst and Cheektowaga,
N.Y., and customers were charged
between $100 and $200.
According to evidence presented by the government, two of the victims were
assaulted and threatened by the defendant. One victim testified that Graham
told her "I'll kill you" and a second victim testified that Graham
brandished a weapon at her. Under cross examination, the defendant admitted to
pushing one of the victims into a wall and over a piece of furniture.
"This is the first sex trafficking conviction at trial in the Western
District of New York," said U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr., Western
District of New York. "Based on charges recently filed by our office, the
problem of human trafficking appears to be growing but so too is our ability to
investigate and prosecute these crimes. In the past year, we have filed charges
against seven defendants who are accused of victimizing a total of 12 victims.
Freedom is a basic human right and individuals should not be forced into
actions or behaviors that are both illegal and can cause long term physical,
psychological and emotional damage."
"Today's guilty verdict is the result of the great partnership HSI has
with law enforcement in Western New York in
our unyielding resolve to bring human traffickers to justice," said James
C. Spero, special agent in charge of HSI Buffalo. "Trafficking children
for sex is one the most deplorable crimes our HSI special agents investigate.
My agency is committed to protecting those who cannot protect themselves. These
cases are extremely difficult to investigate - and prosecute - and would not be
possible without the hard work and dedication of our special agents and
attorneys."
The conviction is the result of an investigation on the part of HSI, Amherst
Police Department, Cheektowaga Police Department. and Buffalo Police Department.
Additional support was provided by the Western District of New York Human
Trafficking Task Force and Alliance.
Anyone who has knowledge of any form of trafficking is encouraged to contact
the task force or the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at
888-373-7888.
Sentencing has been scheduled for May 8, 2013, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge
Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert C. Moscati and Kathleen A. Lynch, Western
District of New York, are prosecuting this case on behalf of the U.S. government.
Two
Guatemalan men were sentenced by a federal judge Monday, January 14, 2013, to
lengthy prison terms for their roles in a hostage-taking conspiracy that
resulted in the violent treatment of smuggled aliens held captive in a Mesa drop house. Domingo
Agustin-Simon, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell to 42
years in federal prison for conspiracy, hostage taking and brandishing a
shotgun in connection with hostage taking. Leonardo Rabanales-Casia, 30, was
sentenced at the same hearing to 25 years in prison for conspiracy and hostage
taking. The
sentences follow the pair's October conviction by a federal jury on charges
stemming from a probe led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE)
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). "These
lengthy sentences serve not only to punish and deter such cruel and inhumane
activity but also to protect the public from dangerous individuals that prey
upon the vulnerabilities of their victims," said U.S. Attorney John S.
Leonardo. "This
case illustrates the ruthlessness and brutality of the human smuggling
trade," said Matt Allen, special agent in charge of HSI Arizona. "The
smugglers treated the people in the drop house as a mere business commodity,
with no qualms about jeopardizing their lives in order to extort personal
profit. Investigating these cases is a top priority for HSI, and we will
continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring those who would
choose to exploit people in this despicable way to justice." Evidence
presented at trial showed the defendants were part of an alien that smuggled
aliens into the U.S. to a
drop house in Mesa.
In August 2011, HSI special agents and officers from the Arizona Department of
Public Safety and the Phoenix Police Department went to the drop house and
found more than 40 illegal aliens being held inside. Trial testimony revealed
the smugglers used a shotgun to keep order in the house and threatened the
aliens with physical harm and death in an effort to extort monetary payments
from the aliens' families. One hostage was beaten by the smugglers and women in
the drop house were sexually assaulted. Four
other co-defendants previously pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in
the drop house and were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 24 months to
eight years. The
case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine D. Keller and Sean K.
Lokey of the U.S. Attorney's Office-District of Arizona.
A
Guatemalan national, with dual citizenship in Mexico,
was removed from the United
States Wednesday, December 19, 2012, by
officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Orlando
Escobar-Leon, aka Eduardo Morales Esquivel, 42, was a leader in a multinational
alien smuggling network that was responsible for smuggling East African and
Bangladeshi nationals from Colombia
into Central America, and eventually, the United States. Due to the
high-profile nature of his crimes, officers with ICE's Enforcement and Removal
Operations (ERO) turned him over to Guatemalan law enforcement authorities upon
his arrival in Guatemala City,
Guatemala. Between
March 2008 and August 2009, Escobar-Leon and 12 co-conspirators facilitated the
smuggling of more than 100 unauthorized illegal aliens into the United States.
In return for his services, Escobar-Leon received between $350 and $1,500 per
individual. "This
individual completely disregarded the value of human lives," said acting
ERO Atlanta Field Office Director David Rivera. "He manipulated the
immigration systems of multiple countries, solely to benefit his bottom
line." In
January 2010, Escobar-Leon was charged in the United
States via criminal complaint with conspiracy to
encourage and induce unauthorized aliens to come, enter and reside in the United States. In March 2010, Mexican law enforcement authorities arrested him in coordination
with special agents from ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Mexico City. He was
subsequently extradited to the United States
where he was arrested and charged for harboring aliens and conspiracy to
defraud the U.S.
government. He pleaded guilty to those charges and was sentenced to 37 months
in federal prison in March. Based on the fact that Escobar-Leon was only
extradited to the United States
to face charges, he did not have legal immigration status to remain in the United States.
Upon his release from prison, he was transferred to ICE custody and processed
as an expedited removal. He was detained at the StewartDetentionCenter
in Lumpkin, Ga.,
before ERO officers removed him back to Guatemala
City.
Six people were sentenced Tuesday, December 18, 2012, following their convictions in an illegal alien harboring/transportation conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The defendants sentenced Dec. 18 are: Christian Lara-Reyes, 29; Victor Lara Bravo, 52; and Jose Alfonso Hernandez, 30, all Mexican citizens; and Raquel Dainese Phillips, 23; Dale Franklin Jones, 51; and Clarence Leroy Teel, 53, all of Houston. All previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport and harbor illegal aliens within the United States.
U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller sentenced Lara-Reyes to 24 months in prison. Hernandez and Jones were ordered to serve 11 and four months, respectively. Bravo and Teel were each ordered to serve 12 months in federal prison. Phillips was sentenced to probation and will serve two years on home confinement. Jones and Teel will serve two and three-year-terms of supervised release, respectively, following completion of their prison terms. Lara-Reyes, Bravo and Hernandez are expected to face deportation proceedings upon their release from prison.
The case against these six began after HSI special agents obtained information during the investigation of an alien smuggling operation in the Corpus Christi area headed by Armando Olmedo-Trevino, 47, of Wharton, Texas. Lara-Reyes admitted he transported undocumented aliens from south Texas to the Houston area in order to further facilitate the aliens' movement into the United States at the request of Olmedo-Trevino. Lara-Reyes transported and harbored the undocumented aliens with the assistance of Bravo and Hernandez. Bravo and Hernandez watched over the aliens until smuggling fees were paid by the aliens' friends and family members.
Teel recruited and provided drivers to transport undocumented aliens on behalf of the alien smuggling organization. Teel admitted he began smuggling illegal aliens in 2008 and eventually graduated to recruiting drivers for the alien smuggling organization.
Additional evidence revealed that on multiple occasions, Phillips and Jones transported undocumented aliens for the alien smuggling organization. Phillips informed HSI special agents she was recruited to transport illegal aliens by Jeffery Mark Williams, 55, of Sugar Land, Texas.
On Sept. 7, Williams entered a guilty plea to conspiring to transport and harbor illegal aliens.
He is scheduled to be sentenced March 15, 2013, at which time he faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
The case against Olmedo-Trevino was prosecuted in the Corpus Christi Division by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad Cowan and Jeffrey Preston, Southern District of Texas. He received the statutory maximum of 120 months in prison.
The Houston case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Menes and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimani Eason, Southern District of Texas.
Yimmy Pineda-Penado, aka Critico, 22, of Alexandria, Va., was sentenced by United States District Judge Anthony J. Trenga Friday, December 14, 2012, to 210 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his role in a gang-run juvenile prostitution ring.
The sentencing follows an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington, D.C., and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Washington Field Office with assistance from the Fairfax County Police Department and the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force.
"Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate gang members and associates involved in sex trafficking, especially those instances involving juveniles forced into prostitution," said HSI Washington, D.C., Special Agent in Charge John P. Torres. "HSI will continue to aggressively investigate transnational gang members, like Yimmy Pineda-Penado, who engage in sex trafficking and other violent crimes."
According to court documents and testimony, Pineda-Penado, originally from El Salvador, became involved in juvenile sex trafficking through his membership in MS-13. He was personally responsible for prostituting at least one juvenile female. His involvement in MS-13's juvenile sex trafficking scheme lasted from the fall 2009 until the spring 2010.
MS-13 members prostituted the victim at various motels and apartments in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, and Falls Church, Va., as well as in Maryland. The victim was not permitted to leave the prostitution scheme and MS-13 members plied her with drugs and alcohol to make her more compliant while her body was being exploited for profit.
Founded in 2004, the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies – along with nongovernmental organizations – dedicated to combating human trafficking and related crimes. From FY 2011 to the present, 44 defendants have been prosecuted in 25 cases in the Eastern District of Virginia for human trafficking and trafficking-related conduct involving at least 32 victims.
Anyone who suspects instances of human trafficking is encouraged to call the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or to complete its online tip form:
http://www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp.
Anonymous calls are welcome.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Terwilliger and Patricia Giles.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- M.C. Law Group Attorney Alex Meyerovich recently appeared on the Connecticut News12 program "Our Lives" to speak out against human trafficking.
Also known as "modern day slavery," reported cases of human trafficking have risen 60% in 2011 compared to 2010, according to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (HTRS). Reported cases of human trafficking have been steadily increasing for the last five years.
Attorney Meyerovich discussed human trafficking with "Our Lives" host Gwen Edwards, and explained that human trafficking is on the rise because the financial gain of exploiting human life is simply too great.
"It's widespread because it's cheap labor, and billions of dollars are involved -- it's supply and demand," Meyerovich said.
Human trafficking occurs when a victim is held hostage and forced to work against their will, commonly as commercial sex workers, drug traffickers, or laborers in unregulated industries. Victims are often held in deplorable conditions and suffer physical and sexual abuse.
Attorney Meyerovich, whose firm specializes in immigration law, knows how susceptible illegal immigrants are in particular to human traffickers. Immigrants pay smugglers to be brought into the U.S. illegally, and on arrival smugglers demand more money from their captives. Immigrants then must work to repay their "debts," and are held hostage with threats of violence or deportation.
"I've dealt with victims running away from drug cartels and sexual exploitation," said Meyerovich of past clients affected by human trafficking. "They're traumatized and afraid to talk."
Human trafficking victims are not likely to seek help for fear of retribution. The problem goes unnoticed by most Americans because victims remain silent and are often hidden in plain sight.
Meyerovich also urged parents to be aware of how vulnerable children are to human traffickers and sexual exploitation, especially in an age of exposure through social media.
"People need to know that it happens, and that it is very easy to manipulate kids' minds," Meyerovich said. "Children are extorted and threatened to be exposed on Facebook, or to their parents and teachers…and they become victims of sexual exploitation."
In fact, sex trafficking preys on Americans at a shocking rate, with HTRS reporting that 80% of sex trafficking victims are U.S. citizens. "Our Lives" host Ms. Edwards and Meyerovich urged viewers -- and especially parents -- to be aware that human trafficking and sexual exploitation exists in communities throughout the U.S.
"Parents need to be educated that their kid's classmate could be a victim of human trafficking," Meyerovich added, explaining that young victims may still attend school, but may act shy and fearful of their peers and teachers.
Ultimately, Meyerovich offered a dual solution to combat human trafficking: increased awareness and immigration reform. Only with both, Meyerovich explained, will "modern day slavery" become a thing of the past.
Watch the full "Our Lives" segment featuring Attorney Meyerovich below:
It began with a routine traffic stop in Tampa, Fla. On February 4, 2012, just after 5 p.m., Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office deputies pulled over 21-year-old Kathleen Roberson. Not only did she not have a valid driver's license, but she was also transporting five illegal aliens in her Kia Sorrento.
Roberson and one of her passengers, Jessica Roland, were transporters for a much larger human smuggling organization that operated out of Arizona and Alabama. The organization transported illegal aliens to final destinations throughout the United States.
The sheriff's office and the U.S. Border Patrol notified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) about the incident. Two days later, HSI initiated an investigation to determine who Roberson and Roland were working for.
"When conducting these investigations, we look for the root of the problem. We were determined to dismantle the larger criminal organization behind the smuggling activity," said Sue McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa.
Further investigation led HSI to the organization's leadership, including brothers Jose Bartolo Calixto-Moran and Pedro Calixto-Moran, and Pedro's girlfriend Marilu Ramirez-Bartolo. The brothers and Ramirez-Bartolo were all Mexican citizens illegally residing in the United States.
"Human smugglers completely disregard the value of human lives. They transport people across the border like commodities, often in squalid conditions," said McCormick. "We estimate this organization was transporting nearly 80 illegal aliens each month from Phoenix to final destinations across the United States."
As a result of HSI's investigation, the court sentenced Pedro Calixto-Moran to 71 months in prison, Jose Calixto-Moran to 41 months in prison and Ramirez-Bartolo to 27 months in prison for their roles in the human smuggling organization. Roberto Jimenez-Delgado was also sentenced to 33 months in prison for transporting illegal aliens. Roberson and Roland cooperated with the investigation, and as a result, were sentenced to time served.
Late the night of Wednesday, November 28, 2012, special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) recovered a toddler who had been separated from her mother during a human smuggling venture.
The 23-month-old child was recovered Nov. 28 after being smuggled into the United States from Mexico. The mother was separated from the child following their illegal entry into the United States; she was subsequently apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Border Patrol officers near the south Texas border.
The girl's mother informed officers that she was in contact with smugglers about her daughter and that the smugglers were seeking additional money to return the child. Contact was made with an individual in Houston alleging to be the child's babysitter. After a series of calls, the child was delivered to HSI special agents in Houston. The young girl is currently in Texas Child Protective Services (CPS) custody. HSI is working with CPS to reunite the child with her mother.
Information developed by HSI Falcon Dam special agents revealed that smuggling arrangements were made to have the child transported to New York for a fee of $9,000. This investigation is ongoing.
Human smuggling is the importation of people into the United States by deliberately evading immigration laws. This includes bringing illegal aliens into the country, as well as the unlawful transportation and harboring of illegal aliens already in the country. Smuggling situations often involve death, rape, torture and assault.
HSI is the lead U.S. law enforcement agency responsible for combating human smuggling and human trafficking.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- M.C. Law Group Attorney Alex Meyerovich spoke out recently against the rise of human trafficking, also known as "modern day slavery," in the United States.
Reported cases of human trafficking have risen 60% in 2011 compared to 2010, according to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (HTRS). In fact, reported cases of human trafficking have been steadily increasing for the last five years. Attorney Meyerovich offered a simple explanation for this increase in human trafficking during a recent interview with Connecticut News12.
"Human trafficking is a lucrative business. It generates billions," said Attorney Meyerovich of the industry.
Human trafficking occurs when a victim is held hostage and forced to work against their will. Victims are commonly coerced into becoming commercial sex workers, drug traffickers, or laborers in unregulated industries. Additionally, these victims are often held in deplorable conditions, and suffer physical and sexual abuse.
Local attorneys like Meyerovich are speaking out alongside lawmakers to raise awareness about this prolific, but often unnoticed, human rights issue. In fact, Senator Richard Blumenthal recently joined with Senator Robert Portman of Ohio to co-chair the Senate Caucus to End Human Trafficking. The caucus will provide a platform for its thirteen members to combat human trafficking and promote increased awareness about this serious issue.
"This kind of modern day slavery is intolerable," Senator Blumenthal told Connecticut News 12. "These people are treated as inhuman."
Human trafficking goes unnoticed by most citizens because victims are often hidden in plain sight. Traffickers prey on society's most vulnerable, targeting children and young girls, disabled individuals, and illegal immigrants. These vulnerable victims are not likely to seek help for fear of retribution: if they attempt to escape or alert authorities, they suffer horrific abuse and threats of violence -- or worse.
"If they don't obey, they're likely to be killed," Meyerovich said of the impossible situation these victims are placed in.
Attorney Meyerovich, whose firm specializes in immigration law, knows how particularly susceptible illegal immigrants are to human traffickers. Meyerovich explained that immigrants pay alien smugglers exorbitant fees to be brought into the U.S. illegally. Once they arrive, the smugglers demand additional payment for their services, which immigrants cannot afford. They are then coerced into forced labor to repay their "debts," and are held hostage indefinitely. Victims are constantly intimidated with threats of being reported to immigration enforcement, and even the murder of themselves and their loved ones.
"These immigrants risk everything for a better life in the U.S., and instead are forced to endure a nightmare of unimaginable abuse when they arrive," said Attorney Meyerovich. "They are scared, often don't speak English, and have no knowledge that U.S. immigration laws protect victims of human trafficking, regardless of their legal status."
However, U.S. citizens are just as vulnerable to being forced into labor in their own country. While HTRS reports 70% of labor trafficking victims are undocumented immigrants, 80% of sex trafficking victims are U.S. citizens.
"Most American citizens would react with fury and outrage if they knew about it," Senator Blumenthal commented.
Local attorneys like Meyerovich and prominent lawmakers like Senator Blumenthal hope that increased awareness about human trafficking will help turn the tide against modern day slavery. To learn more about human trafficking, including how to recognize victims and report suspected cases, visit the NationalHumanTraffickingResourceCenter. To learn more about Senator Blumenthal's involvement in the Senate Caucus to End Human Trafficking, visit his official website.
To watch the full interview featuring Attorney Meyerovich and Senator Blumenthal, watch the video below.
A former northwest suburban massage parlor owner was sentenced Monday, November 26, 2012, to life in federal prison for crimes including sex trafficking, forced labor, harboring illegal aliens, confiscating passports to further forced labor, and extortion. These crimes were committed against four foreign women whom he mentally and physically abused while forcing them to work for him.
The life sentence resulted from a joint investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Cook County Sheriff's Office. The CookCountyState's Attorney's Office assisted in the investigation, which was coordinated by the Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force.
Alex Campbell, 47, formerly of Glenview, Ill., operated the Day and Night Spa on Northwest Highway in Mt. Prospect, Ill. He used violence and threats of violence to force three women from Ukraine and one from Belarus to work for him without pay and, at times, little to no subsistence between July 2008 and January 2010.
Campbell, aka "Dave" and "Daddy," called himself "Cowboy." He was sentenced to life in prison Nov. 26 by U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman, Northern District of Illinois, and ordered to pay about $124,000 restitution. There is no parole in the federal prison system. "They (the victims) have a life sentence – all of them...and their life sentence at your hands compels a life sentence for you," Judge Gettleman said in imposing sentence.
Campbell was convicted at trial in January of three counts each of forced labor, harboring illegal aliens for financial gain, and confiscating passports and other immigration documents to force the victims to work, and one count each of sex trafficking by force, and extortion. He faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life on the sex-trafficking count alone, and the judge also imposed maximum prison terms ranging from five to 20 years on each of the remaining counts, to run concurrent with the life sentence.
"The seriousness of Campbell's crimes cannot be overstated, nor could the government put into words the magnitude of harm or the life-altering consequences of Campbell's actions...An evaluation of the seriousness of what Campbell has done must necessarily begin by looking at his victims, whose lives he upended, dreams he shattered, ideals he undermined, and whose faith in humanity he so cruelly crushed," the government argued in urging a life sentence.
"If you treat human beings as property, to be branded, beaten, raped and sold, the law will punish you to the greatest extent possible," said Gary S. Shapiro, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. "This sentence ensures Alex Campbell's incapacitation, which will prevent him from victimizing other women."
"Alex Campbell abused women by violently coercing them into labor and commercial sex. By working together with law enforcement and community groups, those women were able to testify about that abuse," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "Today's sentence is a victory not only for the department and the Human Trafficking Task Force, but also for those women who so bravely came forward and told the truth about their exploitation."
"This life sentence sends a clear message to those who think they can callously prey upon vulnerable women to turn a profit," said Gary J. Hartwig, special agent-in-charge of HSI Chicago. "The servitude, abuse and torture of other human beings will not be tolerated. HSI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who engage in human trafficking are held accountable for their actions."
Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart, whose sheriff's police initiated the investigation, said, "I am extremely proud of the effort and resolution of all the agencies involved with the successful investigation, conviction and now sentencing of such a violent individual."
All four victims testified as government witnesses at trial, as well as co-defendant Danielle John, 25, who pleaded guilty before trial to two counts of harboring illegal aliens for financial gain. She was sentenced previously to three years' probation. In addition to the trial victims, the government presented evidence of about 20 women victimized by Campbell.
The trial showed that Campbell recruited and groomed foreign women without legal status in the United States to become part of his "family," which he claimed was an international organization that would provide them with support. He offered them jobs in his massage parlor, a place to live, assistance with immigration, and lured each of them to enter into a romantic relationship with him. After gaining their trust, he forced the victims to get tattooed with his moniker, which he said made them his property and allowed him to stop paying them. At the same time, he acquired the women's passports and visas. The women were forced to work long hours every day and do as Campbell instructed them, and they were beaten and punished if they disobeyed him.
Trial testimony established that Campbell confiscated passports and identity documents from three of the victims, as well as harbored and transported them to ensure their continued labor.
Campbell forced one victim to engage in commercial sex acts with customers at other massage parlors, but not at the Day and Night Spa, which testimony showed he operated "cleanly" to avoid problems with law enforcement. He extorted another victim to pay him more than $25,000 to leave the "family" by threatening to send a sexually explicit video recording to her parents in Belarus.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane MacArthur and Steven Grimes, Northern District of Illinois, and John Richmond, Special Litigation Counsel with the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division's Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, successfully prosecuted the case.
Human trafficking is one of the most heinous crimes that HSI investigates. In its worst manifestation, human trafficking is akin to modern-day slavery. HSI relies on tips from the public to dismantle these organizations. Trafficking victims are often hidden in plain sight, voiceless and scared. HSI encourages the public to report suspicious activity by calling HSI's Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or report tips online.
On Wednesday, November 14, 2012, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced the start of a national radio public service announcement (PSA) campaign to generate awareness about human trafficking.
The PSA will begin airing Nov. 14 on 24 English and 19 Spanish language radio stations in the following cities: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, El Paso, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Saint Paul, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan, Seattle, Tampa and Washington.
ICE's Hidden In Plain Sight campaign is part of the Department of Homeland Security's Blue Campaign and its goal is to alert the public about the existence of human trafficking in communities nationwide and prompt a call to action for individuals who encounter possible victims.
ICE has focused its efforts to educate the public about the plight of human trafficking victims. For this outreach effort the agency is turning to radio stations for assistance in generating awareness about human trafficking in the United States as well as for everyone to look for signs of this crime and report possible trafficking situations to safeguard victims.
If anyone knows or suspects someone is being held against their will, ICE strongly urges them to contact the ICE tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE. Individuals can also view the television PSA online.
A Honduran national was sentenced Monday, November 5, 2012, to 35 years in federal prison following multiple convictions in a hostage-taking and alien-harboring conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas. The investigation was conducted by the Houston Police Department (HPD), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Cesar Avila, 38, was sentenced Nov. 5 to 420 months in prison and ordered him to pay a $1,000 special assessment fee by U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal. Avila was convicted of hostage-taking conspiracy, four counts of hostage-taking, using a firearm during a crime of violence, and four counts of aiding and abetting the harboring of illegal aliens. Avila was convicted by a jury following a three day jury trial that concluded June 6.
Additional testimony was presented by one of two female victims who Avila sexually assaulted. She provided graphic testimony about how she was abused, and how that abuse has affected her. In handing down the sentence, Judge Rosenthal noted that Avila's statement that he had himself been a victim of smugglers was "chilling" in light of the evidence presented at trial. As an illegal alien, Avila is expected to face deportation proceedings after he completes his 35-year prison sentence.
Trial testimony showed that on Aug. 19, 2011, the HoustonEmergencyCenter received a 911 call from a subject who spoke only Spanish. The victim advised he was being held against his will at a house in Houston by alien smugglers who had been hired to smuggle him to an unspecified location in the United States. He claimed Avila was armed with a handgun and had threatened them with death, and they were in fear of their lives.
HPD officers eventually located the residence on the 100 block of Jamaica Street in Houston. The location had no windows and the French doors on the north side of the residence had the glass panes covered with aluminum foil. Once inside the location, several people, who were later identified as hostages, began pointing to Avila as the hostage-taker and smuggler. Officers also discovered a semi-automatic handgun and a ledger detailing payments by the smuggling organization under the mattress where Avila was sitting.
Several of the aliens who were held hostage also identified Carlos Martinez-Aguilar, 44, an illegal alien from Mexico. They stated that Martinez-Aguilar came into the building where they were being held and drank beer with Avila in the hours prior to law enforcement arriving. They also stated that Martinez-Aguilar asked about the status of payments of smuggling fees. The victims indicated Martinez-Aguilar was not involved in abuse or threats, and he had provided them food and blankets. Officers discovered Martinez-Aguilar had been living in the larger house in front of the building where the aliens were housed.
One of the victims advised officers he had been in the Houston area for about eight days, and had been moved from house to house in the Houston area with five other aliens. He admitted he was in the country illegally and that he had paid smugglers $5,000 to smuggle him into the United States. He identified Avila as the subject who was holding him. He stated that Avila was constantly armed with the handgun, and had threatened to kill him if he tried to escape. Further testimony revealed that the smugglers were threatening to kill him if his family did not pay an additional $5,000.
The mother of one of the victims testified at trial that she and her family had been contacted by smugglers demanding more money and threatening her son's life, as well as the life of her family if the additional money was not paid. She was so frightened she contacted police who conducted surveillance to protect them. Her daughter also testified that the family raised money by borrowing it from friends, and they sent as much money as they could via wire transfer to smugglers in Mexico.
Avila will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Martinez-Aguilar was previously sentenced to 36 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of harboring illegal aliens.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Searle and Douglas Davis, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted the case.
A Michigan resident was found guilty Tuesday, October 20, 2012, by a federal jury, after less than a day of deliberation, on charges related to the forced slavery of minors from his native Togo. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge William Hayes.
Evidence introduced during the trial established that Jean-Claude "Kodjo" Toviave, a native of Togo, West Africa, used force, and threats of force, to obtain the domestic labor of four minors from Togo from January 2006 to January 2011. Toviave brought the four minors into the United States by giving them passports with false names and dates of birth. In immigration documents, Toviave represented that the four individuals were his biological children.
Toviave pleaded guilty Feb. 24 to visa fraud, mail fraud and harboring aliens in connection with bringing the four minors to Michigan from Togo.
The four victims testified at trial that Toviave regularly beat them with broomsticks, a toilet plunger, sticks, ice scrappers and phone chargers if they failed to obey his orders to complete household labor. The victims' testimonies during trial detailed the work they were forced to do on a weekly, and occasionally, daily basis, spanning nearly five years. They were required to cook and clean for the household, wash laundry by hand, iron Toviave's suits, shine his shoes, wash and vacuum his car, babysit his friends' children and clean a friend's home. In addition to force and threats of force, Toviave used food and sleep deprivation as punishment for the minors.
"This conviction is a victory not only for the young victims in this particular case, but also for human dignity and the rule of law," said Hayes. "HSI is fully committed to working with our law enforcement partners, both local and international, to combat the crime of human trafficking. Sadly, this crime occurs every day in America. We encourage anyone who suspects that human trafficking or forced labor is occurring in their community to report it to authorities immediately."
"Many people are shocked to learn that slavery and human trafficking still exist in this country, but the victims are often hiding in plain sight," said McQuade. "We are working with victim advocates and law enforcement agencies to expose these crimes. This conviction and the liberation of these victims occurred because of the diligence of school teachers, advocates, investigators and prosecutors."
Toviave's sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 6, 2013, where he faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The owners of two massage parlors – one in Wellesley, Mass., and the other in Revere, Mass. – have been arrested in connection with human trafficking and prostitution. This investigation is being conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Massachusetts Attorney General's office, and the Wellesley Police Department.
Zhen Lai, 37, of Quincy, Mass., and Joseph Girouard, 55, of Revere, were arrested the afternoon of Thursday, October 18, 2012, by HSI special agents and the Massachusetts State Police. Lai was arrested in Quincy and Girouard was arrested in Somerville, Mass. Lai and Girouard are each charged with one count each of trafficking in persons for sexual servitude and keeping a house of ill fame.
"Today's arrests are the result of the great partnership HSI has with the Massachusetts Attorney General's office and Massachusetts State Police in our unyielding resolve to bring human traffickers to justice," said Bruce M. Foucart, special agent in charge of HSI Boston. "Human trafficking can exist anywhere, as shown with this investigation. HSI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who commit these crimes are held accountable for their actions."
"We allege that these individuals ran two massage parlors that were thinly veiled fronts for prostitution," said Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley. "Further, these two defendants allegedly profited from sexual services provided to clients by women they employed. We would like to thank HSI and our local police partners for assisting in the investigation and arrests."
"This investigation was a model of collaboration and cooperation between investigators from the Wellesley Police Department, HSI and the attorney general's office," said Chief Terrence Cunningham, Wellesley Police Department. "Thanks to Attorney General Coakley's attention to the human trafficking issue and her unwavering determination to bring individuals involved in the exploitation of women to justice, this is not just another prostitution prosecution."
The arrests are the result of an investigation into allegations of human trafficking and prostitution at Sun Spa, also known as Sun Studio, in Wellesley and Bodywork in Revere.
Authorities allege that Lai and Girouard jointly operated the two massage parlors. During the course of the investigation, authorities developed evidence indicating that these massage parlors were allegedly offering sexual activity between masseuses employed by Lai and Girouard and their clients in exchange for cash that was characterized as "tips." Investigation also revealed that Lai and Girouard advertised the two spas on websites known to advertise prostitution.
The afternoon of Thursday, October 18, 2012, federal, state and local law enforcement executed search warrants at the two massage parlors. Following the execution of the search warrants, authorities arrested Lai and Girouard.
Human trafficking is one of the most heinous crimes that HSI investigates. In its worst manifestation, human trafficking is akin to modern-day slavery. Victims pay to be illegally transported into the United States only to find themselves in the thrall of traffickers. They are forced into prostitution, involuntary labor and other forms of servitude to repay debts – often entry in the United States. In certain cases, the victims are mere children. They find themselves surrounded by an unfamiliar culture and language without identification documents, fearing for their lives and the lives of their families.
HSI is serious about ending human trafficking.
HSI relies on tips from the public to dismantle these organizations. Trafficking victims are often hidden in plain sight, voiceless and scared.
If you notice suspicious activity in your community, call HSI's Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or report tips online.
