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Chang Liu, Yinlian Wu Arrested For Illicit Massage Parlors
An investigation into sex trafficking in Maryland led to the arrest of two women accused of operating illegal illicit massage parlors throughout the region, the Montgomery County Department of Police announced on Tuesday.
Columbia resident Chang Liu, 34, and Yinlian Wu, 50, of Philadelphia, have both been arrested and charged with prostitution-related offenses that allegedly took place at massage parlors in the City of Laurel, and Montgomery and Ann Arundel counties owned by Liu that offered sex acts in exchange for cash, according to police, who launched a six-month joint investigation.
In…
Sex Trafficker Who Terrorized Women In MD Gets Federal Prison Time
A sex trafficker in Anne Arundel County will have years to ponder his horrendous mistakes after being sentenced to nearly two decades in prison, federal authorities announced.
Benjamin Lawton, 42, of Glen Burnie, was sentenced to 19 years behind bars followed by 25 years of supervised release for using eight women to work for him as part of a prostitution business he was running.
According to court documents, beginning in 2020, Lawton recruited, enticed, transported, and advertised several women by force, threats of force, or coercion into working as prostitutes.
During the operation…
Prince George's Duo Convicted Of Sex Trafficking Minors By DC Jury: DOJ
Two Prince George’s County residents were hit with lengthy prison sentences after being convicted by a jury in Washington, DC for their roles in a sex trafficking operation involving teens, federal officials announced.
Willis Lewis, 49, of Oxon Hill, and Brittany Jones, 33, of Suitland, will both be spending years behind bars after being found of multime criminal charges for the illegal operation involving two minors.
Specifically, Lewis was sentenced to life, while Jones got 14 years for trafficking a 15-year-old and 17-year-old girl between April and May 2019.
According to prosecutors, J…
DC Man Sentenced For Prostituting, Assaulting, Sexually Abusing Teen In Maryland, Feds Say
Federal officials announced that a Washington, DC man will spend years behind bars for recruiting a homeless teenage girl to operate as a prostitute for him, in Maryland.
Sirron Little, 32, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release for sex trafficking a minor to engage in commercial sex, according to the US Department of Justice.
In addition to his prison term, Little was also ordered to pay his 15-year-old victim restitution to the tune of $20,122.20. Upon his release from prison, Little will also be required to register as a sex offender…
PA Men Convicted Of Sex Trafficking Teenage Girls From Virginia, Maryland
Two men part of a teenage sex trafficking ring that was headquartered in the Philadelphia suburbs have been convicted, authorities said.
A jury found 36-year-old Dimas Omar Hernandez, aka “Adonys,” of Malvern, and 27-year-old Franklin Rivera-Mendieta, aka “Mono,” of Downingtown, guilty on charges of trafficking minors, involuntary servitude, rape, kidnapping, and other related offenses, according to the Chester County District Attorney's Office.
On May 28, 2020, a missing 14-year-old Maryland girl's Facebook message to her mother led multi-state authorities to her location, sparking an…
Maryland Man Known As 'Dre,' 'Fame,' 'Foreign' Admits To Sex Trafficking, Branding Women
A Baltimore man has admitted to sex trafficking multiple women after his victims came forward seeking help, authorities say.
Ryan Odell Oliver, 40, also known as "Dre", Fame", and "Foreign" pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Aug. 17 to sex trafficking at least three victims, according to the Department of Justice.
In December 2018, one of Oliver's victims texted a non-profit sex trafficking prevention agency that she had been forced into prostitution and held against her will by Oliver, prosecutors said.
Upon the alert, an undercover detective made a commercial sex date with the victim in order to…
Man Busted For Running Prostitution, Sex Trafficking Ring Out Of Maryland Apartment: Police
A 47-year-old man was busted for running a sex trafficking and prostitution ring out of a Maryland apartment, authorities said.
Sang Kook Shin, of Frederick, rented the Columbia apartment where he ran the ring for months, authorities in Howard County said Monday, Feb. 28.
Shin had been the subject of the investigation at the Early April Way address, and his own home, since December 2021, police said.
More than $10,000 in cash; a firearm and ammunition; multiple cell phones; ledgers and bank statements; and multiple computer hard drives and USB flash drives were seized as evidence, police s…
Man Who Tried Sex Trafficking Woman In Maryland May Have More Victims: Police
A man who tried sex trafficking a woman in Maryland may have more victims, police say.
An investigation into Ernest Wilkerson, of Rockville, was launched in December 2021 after a female said she was sex trafficked by him in October of that year, Montgomery County police said.
Wilkerson, 32, was arrested on Jan. 27, 2022 near Heartfields Road in Silver Spring, where he tried to pick up a trafficking victim in his red 2009 Cadillac DTS, authorities said.
His intent was to take her to a hotel to meet with individuals for the purpose of sexual exploitation, police said.
Detectives h…
