HPP– Seven persons were indicted in two different human trafficking rings in New Jersey, the attorney general’s office stated on Tuesday.
One of the human trafficking groups was operated in Cumberland County, South Jersey, and the other was operated in Essex County, North Jersey.
According to New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, four individuals were indicted for drug dealing and running a brothel out of a Cumberland County home.
The four indicted individuals are:
- Usiel Luna, 42.
- Jose Perez-Lopez, 40.
- Rosendo Vazquez-Hernandez, 35.
- Yerson Puentes-Marquez, 28.
All of them are reported to be the residents of Bridgeton.
The suspects allegedly lured women to a home on North Laurel Street in Bridgeton under the guise of working as dancers, but then subjected them to commercial sex.
According to the AG’s office, new groups of women were brought to the brothel from Queens, New York, and Paterson, New Jersey, where they were forced to perform commercial sex on hundreds of men each week.
According to the AG’s office, the victims witnessed violent activities at the brothel and were advised by Luna not to leave the premises.
Investigators allegedly seized distributable amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana, as well as more than $50,000 in cash, from the brothel and Luna’s house.
“Our foremost priority remains the safety and well-being of our communities, and we will not rest until every victim is shielded from harm and restored to safety,” said Col. Patrick J. Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.
Meanwhile, Newark residents Khailah Meekins, 21, and Donte Barkley, 28, were charged on Monday with allegedly trafficking two 15-year-olds and a 13-year-old.
Richard Johnson, 24, of Irvington, New Jersey, was also indicted on Aug. 14 for aggravated assault after reportedly bribing a juvenile to have sexual relations with him.
The defendants allegedly promoted sexual meetings with the teen trafficking victims online and uploaded naked images of them, according to the AG’s office.
Investigators discovered that the teens were brought to short-term rentals and motels, where the suspects were paid while the victims were sexually assaulted. According to the AG’s office, Barkley reportedly planned the victims’ meetups, instructed them on what sexual acts to perform on the customers, and advised Meekins on how much to charge.
According to the AG’s office, Barkley was supposed to receive a portion of the earnings Meekins received from the sexual assaults.
The suspects also allegedly threatened and abused the teenagers, biting, pulling their hair, beating them with an extension cable, punching, and stomping on them, according to the AG’s office.
“There is no tolerance for the exploitation of anyone, especially in this dehumanizing way,” Platkin said. “We urge members of the public to call our confidential hotline, 855-END-NJ-HT, if they are being victimized or see someone who they suspect is being subjected to this type of exploitation. We will investigate, and we will prosecute.”
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