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Sex Trafficking

Gilgo Beach Murders: Attorney For Victims' Families To Unveil New Evidence Over DA Objection Gilgo Beach Murders: Attorney For Victims' Families To Unveil New Evidence Over DA Objection
Gilgo Beach Murders: Attorney For Victims' Families To Unveil New Evidence Over DA Objection A Long Island attorney is moving forward with plans to unveil purported new evidence in the Gilgo Beach serial murders case despite objections from the lead prosecutor. John Ray, a Miller Place attorney representing relatives of some of the victims, will hold a symposium at Molloy University in Rockville Centre on Friday, Dec. 8, according to a GoFundMe.  During the event, Ray will “reveal and share facts” about the Gilgo Beach murder case and other “related serious crimes,” said campaign creators Delores Smith and Frances Nicotra. Earlier Report: Gilgo Beach Murders: New 20/20 Episode …
Sex Cult Leader At College In Hudson Valley Draws 60-Year Sentence Sex Cult Leader At College In Hudson Valley Draws 60-Year Sentence
Sex Cult Leader At College In Hudson Valley Draws 60-Year Sentence A man who put a group of college students through sexual, psychological, and physical abuse after moving into his daughter's dorm room in Westchester County will spend the rest of his life in prison.  Earlier Report - Sarah Lawrence Sex Cult Leader In Bronxville Found Guilty On All Charges Larry Ray, also known as Lawrence Grecco, was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Friday, Jan. 20 for leading a sex cult out of Sarah Lawrence College located near the border of Bronxville and Yonkers, according to Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. …
NY Man Sentenced For 'Terrorizing Young Women, Coercing Them Into Commercial Sex Acts' NY Man Sentenced For 'Terrorizing Young Women, Coercing Them Into Commercial Sex Acts'
NY Man Sentenced For 'Terrorizing Young Women, Coercing Them Into Commercial Sex Acts' A New York man will spend decades behind bars for forcing women to engage in prostitution. Long Island resident Justin Rivera, age 32, of Amityville, was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison Tuesday, Oct. 11, in US District Court in Manhattan. The sentence followed an eight-day jury trial in June 2021 in which he was convicted of conspiring to sex traffic two victims. Federal prosecutors said Rivera - also known as Denzel Rivera, Bangout, and Jackie Chan - conspired with others to coerce the young women to engage in commercial sex acts at an abandoned house in Bohemia in 2015. They di…
‘Trusted Lieutenant’ Of Hudson Valley College Sex-Cult Leader Admits To Conspiracy ‘Trusted Lieutenant’ Of Hudson Valley College Sex-Cult Leader Admits To Conspiracy
‘Trusted Lieutenant’ Of Hudson Valley College Sex-Cult Leader Admits To Conspiracy A former Westchester County college student who fell under the spell of convicted sex-cult leader Larry Ray has pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder money for his illegal dealings. Isabella Pollok, age 31, a former student at Sarah Lawrence College, located near the border of Yonkers and Bronxville, who was described as Ray's "trusted lieutenant," pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Sept. 7 to one count related to Ray's twisted plot in Manhattan federal court. Ray, now age 62, will be sentenced in December on more than a dozen charges, including extortion, sex trafficking, and racketeering cons…
Woman Under Arrest For Sex Trafficking May Have Hundreds Of Hudson Valley Victims, FBI Says Woman Under Arrest For Sex Trafficking May Have Hundreds Of Hudson Valley Victims, FBI Says
Woman Under Arrest For Sex Trafficking May Have Hundreds Of Hudson Valley Victims, FBI Says A woman accused of forcing immigrant women into prostitution in New York may have hundreds of victims, federal investigators said. Ysenni Gomez was arrested Friday, Aug. 12, on charges of sex trafficking in Westchester County and the Bronx, according to the FBI. The agency said Gomez posted an online ad looking for waitresses to work at a restaurant in Manhattan.  She later interviewed a woman who responded before telling her she got the job, police said. On the victim’s first day at work, however, Gomez allegedly told the woman there was no waitress job and forced her to have sex wi…
Hudson Valley Man Accused Of Sex Trafficking Vulnerable, At-Risk Youth At NY Hotels Hudson Valley Man Accused Of Sex Trafficking Vulnerable, At-Risk Youth At NY Hotels
Hudson Valley Man Accused Of Sex Trafficking Vulnerable, At-Risk Youth At NY Hotels A Westchester County man is facing federal charges for allegedly forcing a vulnerable minor into prostitution at New York City hotels. Rai Thomas, age 27, of Mount Vernon, was arrested Friday, July 22, on charges of sex trafficking a minor and using interstate facilities to promote sex trafficking and prostitution. According to the US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District, Thomas recruited the teenage girl in January and February 2022 and made her engage in commercial sex acts on multiple occasions in hotels in the Bronx and Brooklyn. He allegedly coordinated transportation to get the…
Ex-Cop In Hudson Valley Admits To Protecting Prostitution Rings In Exchange For Sex Ex-Cop In Hudson Valley Admits To Protecting Prostitution Rings In Exchange For Sex
Ex-Cop In Hudson Valley Admits To Protecting Prostitution Rings In Exchange For Sex A former police officer in the Hudson Valley has admitted to providing protection to a pair of Queens-based sex trafficking rings in exchange for sexual favors. The ex-cop in Putnam County, Wayne Peiffer, was a member of the Village of Brewster Police Department. He's a resident of the Ulster County hamlet of Highland. The 48-year-old Peiffer pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion and conspiracy to commit bribery in violation of the Travel Act in federal court in Brooklyn on Friday, April 8.  Peiffer was charged for his role in protecting the two prostitution busin…
Hudson Valley College Sex Cult Leader Found Guilty On All Charges Hudson Valley College Sex Cult Leader Found Guilty On All Charges
Hudson Valley College Sex Cult Leader Found Guilty On All Charges Larry Ray, the leader of a sex cult run out of his daughter's dorm room at Sarah Lawrence College in Westchester, will face life in prison after being found guilty by a jury of sexually exploiting and trafficking girls. Ray, now 62 years old following multiple delays in his trial and prosecution, was found guilty of 15 counts that include racketeering, sex trafficking, conspiracy, forced labor, extortion, tax evasion, and other crimes in relation to his scheme. Related story - DOJ Accidentally Publishes List Of Alleged Clients In Sarah Lawrence Case It reportedly took the jury le…
New York State Supreme Court Justice Found Dead New York State Supreme Court Justice Found Dead
New York State Supreme Court Justice Found Dead A New York State Supreme Court Justice has died by suicide less than two weeks after his home was searched by federal and state law enforcement. Justice John Michalski, age 61, died in his Amherst home in Erie County, according to multiple reports that were confirmed on Tuesday, April 5. The suicide came following investigators storming his home to execute a search warrant, reports said, though Michalski and his wife cooperated with police during the investigation. No one was taken into custody and no charges were or have ever been filed against the judge or his wife. Michalski’s death …
DOJ Accidentally Publishes List Of Alleged 121 Clients In Westchester Sex Cult Trial DOJ Accidentally Publishes List Of Alleged 121 Clients In Westchester Sex Cult Trial
DOJ Accidentally Publishes List Of Alleged 121 Clients In Westchester Sex Cult Trial The trial of a father accused of running an alleged sex cult out of his daughter’s college dorm room in Westchester County took an unexpected twist after federal prosecutors reportedly released a list of former clients tied to the operation. Lawrence Ray, age 62, the man who allegedly ran the cult out of Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Yonkers and Bronxville in Westchester, has been on trial in Manhattan for more than a week on charges that include sex trafficking, extortion, forced labor, and other offenses for running the shady operation at the school. Original story - Father O…
Six, Including Police Officer In Hudson Valley, Charged In Sex Trafficking, Bribery Scheme Six, Including Police Officer In Hudson Valley, Charged In Sex Trafficking, Bribery Scheme
Six, Including Police Officer In Hudson Valley, Charged In Sex Trafficking, Bribery Scheme A police officer who allegedly protected a prostitution ring in exchange for free sexual favors is among six facing a host of charges for their roles in operating a sex trafficking organization throughout New York, federal officials announced. In Brooklyn federal court, a 14-count indictment has been unsealed for six suspects who ran the operation - which included minors - while the cop protected them from being arrested by law enforcement. Those charged: Wayne Peiffer, age 48, of Highland in Ulster County; Jose Facundo Zarate Morals, age 32, of Queens. Luz Elvira Cardona, age 33, of Que…
LGBTQ+ Bill Protecting Gender Pronouns Becomes Law In New York LGBTQ+ Bill Protecting Gender Pronouns Becomes Law In New York
LGBTQ+ Bill Protecting Gender Pronouns Becomes Law In New York New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed new legislation into law that will protect the LGBTQ+ community and gender pronouns. To celebrate “Transgender Awareness Week,” Hochul signed a pair of bills that relate to vacating convictions for offenses committed due to being a victim of sex trafficking, labor trafficking, or compelling prostitution, and another that will require utility companies to allow customers to use their preferred name and pronouns. “As we witness attacks on LGBTQ+ rights and protections around the country, New York is once again declaring that we are a state for all — one w…
Fugitive Wanted For Fatal Shooting In Area Apprehended After Shootout Fugitive Wanted For Fatal Shooting In Area Apprehended After Shootout
Fugitive Wanted For Fatal Shooting In Area Apprehended After Shootout A manhunt into the fatal shooting of a cab driver in Westchester led to the arrest of a wanted fugitive who was wanted in Connecticut after a shootout with police, authorities announced. Shortly before 3 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 14, a New Rochelle police officer on patrol found a man, later identified as city resident Andres Valenzuela, on the ground in the parking lot of Juliano’s Caterer’s on Main Street with two apparent gunshot wounds. New Rochelle Police Capt. J. Collins Coyne said that he was transported to an area hospital, where he later died from his wounds. Earlier story - P…
Six Arrested As Opioid Ring Operating Out Of Market/Deli In Area Is Taken Down, Authorities Say Six Arrested As Opioid Ring Operating Out Of Market/Deli In Area Is Taken Down, Authorities Say
Six Arrested As Opioid Ring Operating Out Of Market/Deli In Area Is Taken Down, Authorities Say A Hudson Valley drug task force announced the arrests of six people and the dismantling of a local criminal enterprise that operated out of an area market and deli, officials said. The Dutchess County Drug Task Force announced that they have broken up a drug ring that sold “counterfeit” Oxycodone pills and a fraudulent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits out of the Zaid Market and Deli on Main Street in the city of Poughkeepsie for more than a year. It is alleged that the owner of the market, Rami Nshaiwat, and his employees distributed large quantities of illegal opio…
Man Convicted Of Sex Trafficking Young Girls, Including From Hudson Valley Man Convicted Of Sex Trafficking Young Girls, Including From Hudson Valley
Man Convicted Of Sex Trafficking Young Girls, Including From Hudson Valley A New York man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the sex trafficking of minors that included girls from a Westchester County residential treatment facility. Hurbert Dupigny, of Brooklyn, was sentenced on Thursday, June 24, after being found guilty in a jury trial last year, said Audrey Strauss, U.S. States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.  “Dupigny victimized and violently abused, some of the most vulnerable members of our society for his own financial gain," Strauss said. "His predatory conduct irreparably damaged the lives of his victims." From at least August …
Authorities Smash International Sex-Trafficking Ring In NJ, NY, Rescue Dozens Of Victims Authorities Smash International Sex-Trafficking Ring In NJ, NY, Rescue Dozens Of Victims
Authorities Smash International Sex-Trafficking Ring In NJ, NY, Rescue Dozens Of Victims More than 50 women were forced into prostitution in North Jersey, Rockland County and New York City by male members of a large-scale international human trafficking ring run by three women from Teaneck and two men from Lodi, authorities said . A massive investigation into sex trafficking in both states culminated in a series of early-morning raids Wednesday at 19 homes and other locations in Bergen and Hudson counties – including Lodi, Teaneck, Englewood, Elmwood Park and Bergenfield. Detectives and uniformed police and sheriff's officers arrested 21 ring members. They also obtained a fug…
Woman Accused Of Conspiring With Father In So-Called College Sex Cult Case Woman Accused Of Conspiring With Father In So-Called College Sex Cult Case
Woman Accused Of Conspiring With Father In So-Called College Sex Cult Case A female cohort of the man accused of running a sex cult out of his daughter’s dorm at Sarah Lawrence College in Westchester Countyis facing charges for her role in helping him run the scheme. Staten Island resident Isabella Pollok, age 29, has been charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, and extortion conspiracy for helping Lawrence Ray manipulate and groom the college students, who the convicted felon met after moving into his daughter’s on-campus room in 2010. Original story - Father Of College Student In Westchester Charged With Sex Trafficking Her F…
Suspect In Hudson Valley Sex Trafficking Case Accused Of Witness Tampering Suspect In Hudson Valley Sex Trafficking Case Accused Of Witness Tampering
Suspect In Hudson Valley Sex Trafficking Case Accused Of Witness Tampering The father of a former college student in Westchester who allegedly ran a sex cult out of his daughter’s dorm room for nearly a decade is now reportedly manipulating his victims from his prison cell. Lawrence Ray, 60, who is facing charges that include sex trafficking, extortion, and forced labor, has been allegedly attempting to control at least two of his victims from inside his cell, according to a New York Times report. Ray was released from prison in 2010 and moved into the co-ed dorm of his daughter at Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Yonkers and Bronxville. It is alleged th…
Bail Denied For Father Charged With Running Sex Cult At Area College Bail Denied For Father Charged With Running Sex Cult At Area College
Bail Denied For Father Charged With Running Sex Cult At Area College Bail has been denied for the father of a former college student in Westchester who allegedly ran a sex cult out of his daughter's dorm room at Sarah Lawrence College. A judge in Manhattan federal court denied the bail appeal of Lawrence Ray, 60, who pleaded not guilty to nine federal charges for allegedly moving into his daughter’s dorm at Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Bronxville and Yonkers and operating a sex cult. Specifically, Ray is charged with: Conspiracy to commit extortion; Extortion; Sex trafficking; Obtaining forced labor; Forced labor trafficking; C…
College Sex Trafficking Case Dad Pleads Not Guilty To Nine Charges College Sex Trafficking Case Dad Pleads Not Guilty To Nine Charges
College Sex Trafficking Case Dad Pleads Not Guilty To Nine Charges The father of a former college student in Westchester has denied that he ran a sex cult out of his daughter’s dorm room by manipulating students. Lawrence Ray, 60, has pleaded not guilty to nine federal charges that he’s facing for allegedly moving into his daughter’s dorm at Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Bronxville and Yonkers and operating a sex cult. Specifically, Ray is charged with: Conspiracy to commit extortion; Extortion; Sex trafficking; Obtaining forced labor; Forced labor trafficking; Conspiracy to obtain forced labor; Two counts of violating the travel act; Money l…
Father Of College Student In Westchester Charged With Sex Trafficking Her Friends Father Of College Student In Westchester Charged With Sex Trafficking Her Friends
Father Of College Student In Westchester Charged With Sex Trafficking Her Friends The father of a former college student in Westchester has been charged with running an alleged sex cult out of his daughter’s dorm room for nearly a decade. Lawrence Ray, 60, who was the subject of a cover story for New York Magazine, has been charged with sex trafficking, extortion, forced labor, and other offenses, officials announced on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Ray was released from prison in 2010 and moved into the co-ed dorm of his daughter at Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Yonkers and Bronxville. It is alleged that Ray subjected “his victims to sexual and psychological manipulati…
Jeffrey Epstein Reportedly Said Cellmate, Ex-Area Cop Charged In Homicides 'Roughed Him Up' Jeffrey Epstein Reportedly Said Cellmate, Ex-Area Cop Charged In Homicides 'Roughed Him Up'
Jeffrey Epstein Reportedly Said Cellmate, Ex-Area Cop Charged In Homicides 'Roughed Him Up' Billionaire financier and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein alleged that a former police officer from the area who is behind bars after being charged in a quadruple homicide “roughed him up” before he died, according to a New York Post report. Epstein was found dead in his cell on Saturday, Aug. 10, despite being on a "special observation" watch at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Manhattan. Epstein's special observation required frequent checks by guards and a cellmate at all times, conditions which reportedly not followed. According to an autopsy, Epstein died from a bro…
Ex-Area Cop Accused Of Killing Four Questioned After Jeffrey Epstein Found Injured In Jail Ex-Area Cop Accused Of Killing Four Questioned After Jeffrey Epstein Found Injured In Jail
Ex-Area Cop Accused Of Killing Four Questioned After Jeffrey Epstein Found Injured In Jail A former police officer in the area who is behind bars for his alleged role in a quadruple homicide may have been involved in a possible assault of billionaire financier and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, according to NBC 4 New York. Epstein, who is awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, was found earlier this week semi-conscious with marks on his neck while he was being held in the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Manhattan, though “details remain murky.” Investigators are reportedly looking into the possibility that Epstein attempted to hang himself, or that it migh…
Hudson Valley Man Sentenced For Sex Trafficking Underage Girls Hudson Valley Man Sentenced For Sex Trafficking Underage Girls
Hudson Valley Man Sentenced For Sex Trafficking Underage Girls A Northern Westchester man will spend close to decades in prison for sex trafficking of minors in New York and Connecticut and production of child pornography. Victor Gonzalez, 41, of Millwood was sentenced to 19 1/2 years in prison in White Plains Federal Court on Friday, May 3 after pleading guilty on Jan. 24. In addition to the prison term, Gonzalez was sentenced to 10 years of supervised release and restitution in an amount to be determined by the court at a later date. "Victor Gonzalez admitted to the reprehensible crimes of trafficking underage girls for his commercia…
Woman, Boyfriend Sentenced For Sex Trafficking, Rape Of Child Captured On Video Woman, Boyfriend Sentenced For Sex Trafficking, Rape Of Child Captured On Video
Woman, Boyfriend Sentenced For Sex Trafficking, Rape Of Child Captured On Video A 25-year-old woman and her 20-year-old boyfriend have been sentenced to years in prison for the rape and sex trafficking of a teenage girl they also captured on video, said the Orange County District Attorney's Office.  Franeisha Patterson, of Newburgh, and Cally Graham, of the Bronx, were each sentenced to a total of 18 years in state prison in connection with the December 12, 2017, forcible rape and sexual assault of a teenage girl in a Newburgh apartment, said the Orange County District Attorney's Office. In January, Patterson and Graham were both convicted by a…
Woman, Man Found Guilty Of Sexual Of Assault Of Teen In Area Woman, Man Found Guilty Of Sexual Of Assault Of Teen In Area
Woman, Man Found Guilty Of Sexual Of Assault Of Teen In Area Two people have been convicted by an Orange County jury of the sexual assault and rape of a 15-year-old while filming the attack.  Franeisha Patterson, 25, of Newburgh and Cally Graham, 19, of the Bronx, were convicted Jan. 25, on multiple felony charges, in connection with the December 12, 2017, forcible rape and sexual assault of a teenage girl in a Newburgh apartment., said the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Patterson and Graham were both convicted of rape and the criminal sexual act, both felonies, said the DA's Office. In addition, Patterson was convicted of use of a c…
Woman Admits To Beating, Threatening Teens To Force Them To Engage In Prostitution Woman Admits To Beating, Threatening Teens To Force Them To Engage In Prostitution
Woman Admits To Beating, Threatening Teens To Force Them To Engage In Prostitution A 25-year-old woman pleaded guilty to two counts of sex trafficking for forcing two teenagers to engage in prostitution. Franiqua Patterson of Newburgh also pleaded guilty Friday before Orange County Court Judge Craig Stephen Brown to attempted assault for injuring a woman with a knife in January, said the Orange County District Attorney's Office. At the time that she pleaded guilty, Patterson admitted forcing two 15 and 19-year-old girls to engage in prostitution activity by threats of physical violence, the DA's Office said.  Patterson admitted that she forced the girls to act as a prost…
Mexican Nationals Extradited To New York On Sex Trafficking Charges Mexican Nationals Extradited To New York On Sex Trafficking Charges
Mexican Nationals Extradited To New York On Sex Trafficking Charges Five Mexican nationals have been extradited in connection with sex trafficking charges, according to the U.S. Justice Department in Southern New York. Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District,   Acting Assistant Attorney General John M. Gore of the Civil Rights Division, and Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations announced the extradition of Efrain "Chavito" Granados-Corona, Emilio Rojas-Romero, Alan "El Flaco" Romero-Granados and Pedro Rojas-Romero. They were charge…