Defendant Allegedly Prostituted Girls as Young as 15-Years-Old
In federal court in Central Islip, a seven-count indictment was unsealed charging Joshua Lampley-Reid, a member of the Makk Balla set of the Bloods street gang, with sex trafficking, coercion and enticement of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, transportation of child pornography and interstate prostitution. Lampley-Reid was arrested on Wednesday and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge James M. Wicks.
Mark J. Lesko, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI); Vincent F. DeMarco, United States Marshal for the Eastern District of New York; and Errol D. Toulon, Jr., Suffolk County Sheriff, announced the indictment.
“As alleged, through violence, coercion and manipulation, the defendant exploited and demeaned both underage and adult female victims by forcing them to engage in commercial sex acts and posting sexually explicit photographs of them on the internet,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Lesko. “This Office will use every tool in its law enforcement arsenal to combat the sexual exploitation of women, especially young girls, and ensure that predators like the defendant are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Mr. Lesko expressed his appreciation to the Nassau County Police Department for their assistance during the investigation.
“Lampley-Reid lured young girls, some as young as 15, with romantic gestures. Once he had them in his grip, it’s alleged that he enslaved these girls and used violence to force them to work as prostitutes for his insidious gain,” stated HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Fitzhugh. “The deplorable actions of this one man will affect the lives of these young girls for years to come. HSI works closely with its law enforcement partners in a victim-centered approach to rescue the victims and keep them safe. Today, we are sending a unified message to anyone perpetrating crimes against children: no matter who you are, we will bring every resource available to hold you accountable for your crimes.”
“The U.S. Marshals Service has a long-standing and extremely successful history of cooperating with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners,” stated Marshal DeMarco. “These law enforcement partnerships enable the Marshals Service to fulfil its mission to keep our communities safe.”
“Sex trafficking is a particularly heinous crime that targets some of the most vulnerable in our communities. Individuals who perpetrate this crime use drugs intimidation and ultimately violence to lure in their victims for financial gain while slowly destroying their lives,” stated Sheriff Toulon. “I applaud this arrest and will continue to support and work closely with both our local and federal partners to help eliminate this scourge from our communities.”
As set forth in court filings, from December 2019 until his arrest yesterday, Lampley-Reid allegedly used violence and the threat of violence to compel the commission of commercial sex acts by numerous women for his financial benefit, including by minors as young as 15-years-old. Lampley-Reid used social media and other internet applications to establish relationships with potential victims, groomed those victims by feigning a romantic interest in them, manipulated them into working for him as prostitutes, and then effectively enslaved them through acts of force and coercion. Lampley-Reid demanded that the proceeds of prostitution “dates” be turned over to him, and any resistance from the victims was met with violence or threats. Lampley-Reid trafficked victims on Long Island, including at motels in East Meadow, Freeport and Rockville Centre, as well as out of state, including locations in Florida, Maryland and North Carolina. He also engaged in sexual intercourse with his victims, including minors, and provided them with illegal narcotics. Lampley-Reid promoted 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.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of sex trafficking of a minor, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life in prison. If convicted of producing child pornography, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Megan E. Farrell is in charge of the prosecution.
