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Shaquile Newson, 29, Alexander Malave, 31, Karvarise Person, 33, and James Goode, 47, were convicted on multiple charges, including conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors, the US Attorney’s Office said.
Federal investigators linked the quartet to "The Sevens," a "violent gang" that operated out of a 50-room boarding house on South 4th Street in Reading, they said.
In January 2020, 14 people were charged by Indictment in connection with the case, which stemmed from a years-long investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Reading Police Department, United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said.
Evidence presented at the six-week trial revealed that women and minors were sexually trafficked as far back as December 2017 until roughly March 2019, the US Attorney said.
"Victims were raped, shot, assaulted with batons, stabbed with a knife, and hit with a hammer," Williams said. In another instance, a minor was reportedly forced to have a sexual encounter with a gun held to her head,
"Sexually explicit photographs of a minor were also used to advertise the gang’s sex trafficking business," the US Attorney added.
All 14 people originally indicted have now been convicted of charges related to this case.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Reading Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sherri A. Stephan and Justin Ashenfelter.
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