Defendants Lured Victims Through Social Media; Beat Victims and Manipulated Them with Drugs
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea today announced that nine alleged Bloods gang members have been indicted for Sex Trafficking of a Child, Sex Trafficking, Promoting Prostitution and additional charges for running a sex trafficking ring out of multiple Bronx motels and other hotels around the city.
District Attorney Clark said, “These defendants, who are allegedly part of the Hunts Point Family Bloods subset, ran a sex trafficking ring from Bronx motels and manipulated their victims through drugs and violence. The defendants used social media to get to the victims, preying on teens and young women. My Human Trafficking Unit is helping these victims through the trauma and will continue to dismantle these terrible operations that demean and damage victims.”
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said, “These arrests reflect the NYPD’s ongoing commitment to shift the focus of our enforcement operations to target human trafficking and to connect human trafficking victims with the services they need to survive. I commend our detectives and those in the office of Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark for their sustained work in bringing this important case.”
The indictment includes two counts of Sex Trafficking of a Child, eight counts of Sex Trafficking, second-degree Promoting Prostitution, three counts of third-degree Promoting Prostitution, fourth-degree Promoting Prostitution, Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child, second and third-degree Attempted Promoting Prostitution, seven counts of fourth-degree Conspiracy, and fifth-degree Conspiracy. Defendants Ashley Garcia, Eliana Rivadeniera and Abigail Rodriguez were arraigned today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Michael Gross. They were granted supervised release and are due back in court on March 24, 2021. Five defendants are currently in custody and will soon be arraigned, one defendant is yet to be apprehended. If convicted of the top charge, several defendants face a maximum determinate sentence of 25 years in prison.
According to the investigation, between May 6, 2020 and November 19, 2020, the
defendants allegedly operated a sex trafficking ring from various Bronx motels, including the 7
Day Inn, located at 2338 Bruckner Boulevard; Best Western Plus, 926 Sedgwick; Pelham Garden
Motel, 1990 East Gun Hill Road; and the Holiday Motel on the New England Thruway. They
also allegedly operated in hotels around the city and forced their victims to meet with Johns at
other private locations.
According to the investigation, the defendants allegedly used social media platforms to reach out to their victims and lure them with money. The defendants took photos of the victims and posted them as ads on several prostitution-related websites. The defendants allegedly communicated with the Johns and would then tell victims where to meet the Johns and what sexual acts they had to perform. Some victims were regularly beaten by the defendants. During those incidents, the defendants punched, slapped and threw the victims to the ground. The defendants also plied victims with drugs, like Xanax and Percocet, to control them.
District Attorney Clark also thanked Detective Denis Regimbal of the NYPD’s Vice Enforcement Unit/Bronx Zone who conducted the investigation under the supervision of Lieutenant Stephen Conforti, Captain Stanislav Levitsky and Inspector Neteis Gilbert, Commanding Officer of the NYPD Vice Enforcement Unit.
Anyone who may have been victimized or may have information about other victims of alleged sex trafficking by these defendants are encouraged to call the NYPD Human Trafficking Hotline at 646-610-7272.
DEFENDANTS:
Angel Cano, 22, Bronx Luis Cano aka Lou, 23, Bronx Brandon Diaz aka Billz, 27, Bronx Elvis Dominguez aka LV, 24, Bronx Ashley Garcia, 19, Bronx Andrew Garcia aka Drew, 23, Bronx Shaquille Hernandez aka Budda, 22, Bronx Eliana Rivadeniera aka Faith, 23, Bronx Abigail Rodriguez, 31, Bronx.
An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.
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