Tag:

Human trafficking

PA Doctor Admits To Exploiting 13-Year-Old Girl, Possessing Child Pornography PA Doctor Admits To Exploiting 13-Year-Old Girl, Possessing Child Pornography
PA Doctor Admits To Exploiting 13-Year-Old Girl, Possessing Child Pornography Warning: The following details may be disturbing to some readers. A former Lancaster County family medicine physician has been sentenced after pleading guilty to sexually exploiting a 13-year-old girl and possessing child pornography, authorities announced. Frank Yang Liu, 34, of Manheim, was sentenced by Judge Merrill Spahn after pleading guilty on Monday, April 21 to multiple felony offenses, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office. He received a state prison sentence of three to nine years. Liu was originally charged after an investigation by the FBI’s Child Exploita…
Stillborns, Harvard Cadaver Parts Sold Nationwide By PA Man In Berks County Sentenced: DOJ Stillborns, Harvard Cadaver Parts Sold Nationwide By PA Man In Berks County Sentenced: DOJ
Stillborns, Harvard Cadaver Parts Sold Nationwide By PA Man In Berks County Sentenced: DOJ A Pennsylvania man who bought and sold stolen human remains—including stillborn babies and Harvard cadaver parts—and stored them in 5-gallon buckets inside his home has been sentenced to six years in federal prison, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. Jeremy Pauley, 43, of Thompson, Susquehanna County, was sentenced to 72 months by Chief U.S. District Judge Matthew W. Brann for conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property. He was also fined $2,000 and ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his prison term. He ran a black-market…
Spas Shut Down In Central PA For Prostitution: DA Spas Shut Down In Central PA For Prostitution: DA
Spas Shut Down In Central PA For Prostitution: DA Two Lebanon spas were raided and shut down after undercover agents were offered sexual favors in exchange for cash, the Lebanon County District Attorney’s Office announced on Monday, Sept. 22. On July 2, investigators executed a search warrant at Smile Spa on Cornwall Road in Lebanon, where two women told police they performed sexual acts for money. The spa was boarded shut the same day. On Sept. 18, the Task Force raided New New Spa on East Cumberland Street, where an undercover agent was offered sex in exchange for cash. Police seized condoms, more than $2,000 in cash, and a handwritten c…
Teenage Girls Forced Into Grueling Labor At PA Mushroom Farm: AG Teenage Girls Forced Into Grueling Labor At PA Mushroom Farm: AG
Teenage Girls Forced Into Grueling Labor At PA Mushroom Farm: AG A Chester County man is accused of trafficking two teenage immigrant girls and forcing them into long days of labor for little to no pay, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Monday, Sept. 22. Ramiro Caal Jolomna was charged with felony trafficking in individuals, involuntary servitude, and related offenses after a joint investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Section. His preliminary arraignment was held, and bail was set at $1 million, according to officials. Investigators said Jolomna charged the girls, ages 14 and 17, with “debts”…
PA Senate Chaplain Stephen Melton Pleads In Human Trafficking Spa Case PA Senate Chaplain Stephen Melton Pleads In Human Trafficking Spa Case
PA Senate Chaplain Stephen Melton Pleads In Human Trafficking Spa Case A Pennsylvania Senate chaplain and longtime pastor has pleaded in connection with a human trafficking sting involving a Carlisle massage parlor, court records show. Stephen Robert Melton, 65, of Mechanicsburg, pleaded guilty to patronizing prostitutes and no contest to trafficking in individuals for labor servitude in Cumberland County Court on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, according to new court filings. Melton is the pastor at Big Spring Presbyterian Church in Newville, according to the church’s website. He was charged in November 2024 amid a sprawling investigation into massage parlors involved…
Penn State Grad, Real Estate Agent Among 14 Caught In PA Prostitution Sting Penn State Grad, Real Estate Agent Among 14 Caught In PA Prostitution Sting
Penn State Grad, Real Estate Agent Among 14 Caught In PA Prostitution Sting A Penn State graduate and a local real estate agent are among 14 men arrested in a human trafficking sting in Cumberland County, authorities announced on Monday, Aug. 25. The arrests were made during Operation Impact Demand XII, which was conducted on Wednesday, Aug. 14, at a hotel in East Pennsboro Township, according to a release by the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office. The operation was led by the Cumberland County Human Trafficking Task Force in coordination with the East Pennsboro and Silver Spring Township Police Departments. The following men allegedly solicited female es…
Kilmar Abrego Garcia Re-Arrested In Maryland, ICE Moves To Deport Him To Uganda Kilmar Abrego Garcia Re-Arrested In Maryland, ICE Moves To Deport Him To Uganda
Kilmar Abrego Garcia Re-Arrested In Maryland, ICE Moves To Deport Him To Uganda Maryland native Kilmar Abrego Garcia was arrested, taken into custody, and again faces deportation following a planned meeting with ICE on Monday. Abrego Garcia, who was reunited with his family over the weekend, months after he was mistakenly deported to a Salvadoran detention facility, is again fighting for his right to stay in the country following his latest detention. HSI Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that Abrego Garcia was arrested again in Maryland and is being processed for deportation, reportedly to Uganda, where he has no ties, and does not speak the language. Today, ICE law…
Dad Wrongly Deported To El Salvador Now Facing Possible Removal To Uganda By Trump Admin Dad Wrongly Deported To El Salvador Now Facing Possible Removal To Uganda By Trump Admin
Dad Wrongly Deported To El Salvador Now Facing Possible Removal To Uganda By Trump Admin Kilmar Abrego Garcia's stay back in Maryland — and the United States — may be short-lived. The Maryland father of three was released from custody in Tennessee and ordered back home to his family months after he was deported to a notorious Salvadoran prison due to "an administrative error." Abrego Garcia, an alleged former MS-13 gang member, is now likely to be deported to Uganda, according to reports, after he refused to plead guilty to human smuggling charges, which would have allowed him to serve his time in Costa Rica.  "The government informed Mr. Abrego that he has until first th…
NJ Motel 6, Red Roof Inn Ignored ‘Obvious Signs’ Of Teen Sex Trafficking, Federal Suits Allege NJ Motel 6, Red Roof Inn Ignored ‘Obvious Signs’ Of Teen Sex Trafficking, Federal Suits Allege
NJ Motel 6, Red Roof Inn Ignored ‘Obvious Signs’ Of Teen Sex Trafficking, Federal Suits Allege A New Jersey woman has filed two lawsuits in New Jersey federal court alleging that Red Roof Inn and Motel 6 turned a blind eye while she was beaten, raped, and sold for sex as a teenager. In court documents, the alleged victim Jane Doe claims that she was trafficked by Stanton Krogulski, a man she met in May 2014, when she was 17 years old, grieving her mother’s death, and facing homelessness. One suit filed July 9 by Hach, Rose, Schirripa, and Cheverie LLP alleges that Jane Doe was lured to Motel 6 on Route 73 North in Maple Shade, where Krogulski — who was killed in Philadelphia in …
Prostitution Operation Run At PA Motel By Owner, Police Allege Prostitution Operation Run At PA Motel By Owner, Police Allege
Prostitution Operation Run At PA Motel By Owner, Police Allege A Lancaster County motel owner is accused of using his business to facilitate prostitution, authorities announced on Thursday, July 31.  Ryan Kumar Dhimal, 43, who owns and resides at the Weathervane Motor Court in the first block of Eastbrook Road, was charged by the Lancaster County Human Trafficking Task Force, according to police. Dhimal is accused of regularly renting rooms to women for prostitution and providing them reduced room rates and money in exchange for sex, authorities said. Two undercover female investigators were able to check into the motel without showing identifica…
Sex Acts Offered At Massage Spa Run By Atlantic City Man, Police Say Sex Acts Offered At Massage Spa Run By Atlantic City Man, Police Say
Sex Acts Offered At Massage Spa Run By Atlantic City Man, Police Say An Atlantic City man is facing felony charges after authorities say he ran an illicit massage spa in Wilmington, DE. Edward Yazbeck, 66, was arrested Tuesday, July 29, following a months-long investigation by the New Castle County Division of Police’s Drug and Human Trafficking Investigations Team, with help from the Delaware Department of Justice’s Human Trafficking Unit. Yazbeck was identified as the owner of JJ Massage Therapy Spa, located at 4 Garden of Eden Road in Wilmington. The investigation revealed that multiple clients received massages from female workers who then offered illic…
Police Raid Spa In PA, Arresting Woman In Prostitution & Human Trafficking Probe Police Raid Spa In PA, Arresting Woman In Prostitution & Human Trafficking Probe
Police Raid Spa In PA, Arresting Woman In Prostitution & Human Trafficking Probe A Lancaster County spa was raided following a prostitution and human trafficking investigation, leading to the arrest of a 35-year-old woman, authorities announced on Tuesday, July 29. The Ephrata Police Department said the investigation began in June 2025 after an anonymous tip reported suspected prostitution activity at ABC Rose Spa, located at 107 W. Main Street in Ephrata Borough. Detectives determined that female employees were believed to be providing sexual services for money. On Tuesday, July 29, officers executed a search warrant at the spa with assistance from the Lancaster Count…
Mom Sells Daughter In Drug Deal, PA Man Picks Up Next Victim From School In Uber, DA Says Mom Sells Daughter In Drug Deal, PA Man Picks Up Next Victim From School In Uber, DA Says
Mom Sells Daughter In Drug Deal, PA Man Picks Up Next Victim From School In Uber, DA Says An Allentown man who raped a 12-year-old girl after she was sold to him for cash and drugs, and lured another from middle school using an Uber, will serve up to five decades in state prison, authorities announced on Tuesday, July 22. Joshua Mickey Martel, 32, pleaded guilty to Rape of a Child, Trafficking in Individuals, and Statutory Sexual Assault, all felonies of the first degree, according to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan. Martel was sentenced to 21 to 50 years in state prison by Judge Robert L. Steinberg and must register for life as a sexual offender, the DA’s offic…
Online Ad Lures PA Man To Pay For Sex With 14-Year-Old: DA Online Ad Lures PA Man To Pay For Sex With 14-Year-Old: DA
Online Ad Lures PA Man To Pay For Sex With 14-Year-Old: DA A Caernarvon Township man was sentenced to state prison after he tried to pay for sex with a 14-year-old girl — but was arrested in a human trafficking sting, the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday, July 10. Luke R. Martin, 62, of the 1800 block of East Main Street, responded to an online advertisement in February 2024 and agreed to pay money for 30 minutes of sex with a teen girl, prosecutors said. He arrived at a hotel in Ephrata Township, where he thought he’d meet the child — but instead, he was taken into custody by the Lancaster County Human Trafficking …
Sex Slave Sting: Women Held In NJ Homes, Forced Into Brothels, AG Says Sex Slave Sting: Women Held In NJ Homes, Forced Into Brothels, AG Says
Sex Slave Sting: Women Held In NJ Homes, Forced Into Brothels, AG Says Eight people have been charged with racketeering and human trafficking for running a prostitution ring out of several homes in Trenton and Camden, authorities said. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced the charges on Tuesday, July 1, following a months-long investigation that began in May 2024. At least 15 victims were located during raids at five properties, investigators said. According to the criminal complaints, Vilma Deleon Bracamonte, also known as “Janet,” 55, of Hamilton, and Maria Soledad Xec Chan, 42, of Trenton, were the alleged ringleaders. They face charges …
Missing PA Teen Found Alive Year Later In NC, Man Facing Dozen+ Sex Charges: Cops Missing PA Teen Found Alive Year Later In NC, Man Facing Dozen+ Sex Charges: Cops
Missing PA Teen Found Alive Year Later In NC, Man Facing Dozen+ Sex Charges: Cops A 15-year-old girl reported missing from Pennsylvania nearly a year ago was found in a North Carolina home, and the man she was with is facing more than a dozen sex charges. A 15-year-old girl who vanished nearly a year ago from Pennsylvania was found in North Carolina, about 470 miles away, and the man she was living with is now facing more than 15 felony charges, police said. The girl was reportedly reported missing out of Reading, PA in June 2024, NBC News says citing court documents. The teen was discovered on Monday, June 16, around 4:20 p.m., when detectives with the High Point Police…
Family Feared Philly Man Missing — He Was Arrested In Child Sex Sting At Hotel, AG Says Family Feared Philly Man Missing — He Was Arrested In Child Sex Sting At Hotel, AG Says
Family Feared Philly Man Missing — He Was Arrested In Child Sex Sting At Hotel, AG Says All Bruce Drelich's family knew on Friday, May 2 was that he'd gone to New Jersey to meet an "online acquaintance" before he disappeared, according to a missing person's post on social media. And then, they learned why. The Philadelphia resident is facing multiple charges, including human trafficking, after authorities say he tried to meet a 12-year-old girl in a Bordentown, NJ hotel for sex. That girl was actually an undercover agent, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said on Tuesday, June 10. So, on May 2, when Drehlich arrived at the hotel, he was taken into custody by authori…
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Deported Maryland Father, Indicted After Unexpected US Return: Reports Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Deported Maryland Father, Indicted After Unexpected US Return: Reports
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Deported Maryland Father, Indicted After Unexpected US Return: Reports "Maryland Man" Kilmar Abrego Garcia is coming home — only to face criminal charges, according to multiple reports. Abrego Garcia, who has become a national flashpoint following his mistaken deportation to an El Salvador super-prison, is heading back to the US, reports state. However, he will face criminal charges for allegedly transporting undocumented migrants in the US upon his return.  "Now, after months of delay and secrecy, they're bringing him back, not to correct their error but to prosecute him. This shows that they were playing games with the court all along," Abrego Garcia's…
Undercover Sting Nets Long Prison Terms For Man Who Tried To Buy Child For Sex In Berks County Undercover Sting Nets Long Prison Terms For Man Who Tried To Buy Child For Sex In Berks County
Undercover Sting Nets Long Prison Terms For Man Who Tried To Buy Child For Sex In Berks County Two Pennsylvania men who showed up at Lancaster County hotels expecting to rape children were sentenced to lengthy prison terms, the District Attorney’s Office announced in a release on Wednesday, June 4. Bradley Andrew Buchanan, 40, of Birdsboro in Berks County, was sentenced to 28 to 57 years in state prison after a jury found him guilty of trying to pay $250 to rape a 12-year-old girl. He was caught in an August 2022 sting conducted by the Lancaster County Human Trafficking Task Force. Authorities said Buchanan believed he was communicating with the girl’s aunt through an online ad, agre…
PA Predator Sexually Abused 15-Year-Old Girl While Out On Bail: AG PA Predator Sexually Abused 15-Year-Old Girl While Out On Bail: AG
PA Predator Sexually Abused 15-Year-Old Girl While Out On Bail: AG A repeat sex offender from Philadelphia is accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl while out on bail for child porn charges, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced in a release on Tuesday, June 3. Craig Coleman, 32, received the sentence of 18 to 36 years from a Philadelphia County judge on Thursday, May 30, following his guilty plea to Felony Sexual Abuse of Children for possessing child sexual abuse material. He was also classified as a Sexually Violent Predator, requiring lifetime registration as a sex offender. “This predator is a potential danger to every child…
7 More Men Busted In PA Human Trafficking Sting After Former Lowe’s Regional Manager’s Arrest 7 More Men Busted In PA Human Trafficking Sting After Former Lowe’s Regional Manager’s Arrest
7 More Men Busted In PA Human Trafficking Sting After Former Lowe’s Regional Manager’s Arrest Just weeks after a former Lowe’s regional manager was busted in a Cumberland County human trafficking sting, seven more men have been arrested in a new undercover operation, District Attorney Seán M. McCormack announced on Wednesday, May 21. The latest sweep, Operation Impact Demand XI, took place on Tuesday, May 14 at a hotel in East Pennsboro Township, led by the Cumberland County Human Trafficking Task Force with help from the East Pennsboro Township and Silver Spring Township police departments. This comes in the wake of April’s Operation Impact Demand X, where Seth Finkey, 45, of Carli…
NJ Man Forced Teen Into Sex Work During Cross-Country, Stopped On PA Turnpike: DA NJ Man Forced Teen Into Sex Work During Cross-Country, Stopped On PA Turnpike: DA
NJ Man Forced Teen Into Sex Work During Cross-Country, Stopped On PA Turnpike: DA A New Jersey man is accused of trafficking a 17-year-old girl for sex during a cross-country trip that ended along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, officials announced on Wednesday, April 30. Jerome Anthony Oliver, 52, of Bayonne, was pulled over in a black Ford Edge with Missouri temp tags in West Pennsboro, Cumberland County by Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Travis Martin on Sunday, April 28. Inside the vehicle, troopers found a 17-year-old girl listed as a missing and endangered child in the national database out of Missouri. Police also recovered condoms, sexual lubricants, lingerie, multi…
Reading Former Lowe's District Manager Caught In Human Trafficking Sting With 6 Others: DA Reading Former Lowe's District Manager Caught In Human Trafficking Sting With 6 Others: DA
Reading Former Lowe's District Manager Caught In Human Trafficking Sting With 6 Others: DA A former Lowe’s district manager is among seven Pennsylvania men accused of fueling human trafficking by trying to buy sex at a Cumberland County hotel, District Attorney Seán M. McCormack announced on Friday, April 25. The arrests happened during "Operation Impact Demand (X)" at a Silver Spring Township hotel, according to the Cumberland County Human Trafficking Task Force. The operation was carried out alongside the Silver Spring Township Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. "The money these individuals spend on prostitution-related activit…
Deported Maryland Father Linked To MS-13 Was Suspected Of Human Trafficking In 2022: Report Deported Maryland Father Linked To MS-13 Was Suspected Of Human Trafficking In 2022: Report
Deported Maryland Father Linked To MS-13 Was Suspected Of Human Trafficking In 2022: Report Alleged MS-13 gang member and Maryland father Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, was known to the feds as far back as 2022, according to a new report.  According to a report from the Department of Homeland Security, in December 2022, Abrego Garcia was stopped by troopers from the Tennessee Highway patrol when he was unable to stay in his lane. The report states that at the time, troopers made note that there were eight others inside the vehicle, and Abrego Garcia advised that he started driving "three days ago" from Houston to Temple Hills in Marylan…
PA Man Admits To Running Brutal Sex Trafficking Ring Across Four States PA Man Admits To Running Brutal Sex Trafficking Ring Across Four States
PA Man Admits To Running Brutal Sex Trafficking Ring Across Four States A Pennsylvania man has confessed to orchestrating a violent, multi-state sex trafficking operation that preyed on vulnerable women, federal prosecutors announced on Wednesday, Feb. 19. Philip Walker, 39, of Pittsburgh, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania said. Between November 2019 and April 2022, Walker systematically recruited and lured adult women in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Florida, and Texas, exploiting them through t…
Brothel Operator Forced Women Into Sex Acts In Bridgeton, Prosecutor Brothel Operator Forced Women Into Sex Acts In Bridgeton, Prosecutor
Brothel Operator Forced Women Into Sex Acts In Bridgeton, Prosecutor A 37-year-old Bridgeton man was arrested and charged on Saturday, Feb. 8 with human trafficking after running a brothel out of his home, authorities said. Moises Rodriguez-Martinez had been under investigation for a month after he kept inside an East Avenue residence for the purpose of performing paid sexual acts, Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said. The women were trafficked from Queens, Webb-McRae said. Rodriguez-Martinez was charged with human trafficking, promoting organized street crime and promoting prostitution, Webb-McRae said.
PA Man Who Filmed Unconscious Rape Victims Sentenced To 25 Years: DOJ PA Man Who Filmed Unconscious Rape Victims Sentenced To 25 Years: DOJ
PA Man Who Filmed Unconscious Rape Victims Sentenced To 25 Years: DOJ A Pittsburgh man accused of raping unconscious women and trafficking them for commercial sex work has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, authorities announced on Friday, Jan. 31. Eric Jefferson, 41, was sentenced by United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan after being convicted of sex trafficking multiple women between June 2019 and April 2022, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti. Investigators said Jefferson invited women battling drug addiction to live with him at his Polish Hill home, where he provided them with narcotics in exchange for sex. He allegedly wit…
Maryland Man Who Withheld Drugs From 'Dopesick' Women Forced Into Prostitution Gets Prison Time Maryland Man Who Withheld Drugs From 'Dopesick' Women Forced Into Prostitution Gets Prison Time
Maryland Man Who Withheld Drugs From 'Dopesick' Women Forced Into Prostitution Gets Prison Time A 36-year-old Maryland man who used women's' drug dependency to compel them to participate in commercial sex work for him up and down the East Coast will spend nearly two decades in prison, federal authorities announced. William O’Neil Murray III pleaded guilty in August 2024 to sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion over the course of several months in several states. On Monday, Jan. 13, Murray was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison and also ordered to pay his victims nearly $95,000 in restitution. “This sentencing is a powerful reminder that the FBI Richmond team will tir…
Two Men Charged In Berks County Underage Human Trafficking Sting: DA Two Men Charged In Berks County Underage Human Trafficking Sting: DA
Two Men Charged In Berks County Underage Human Trafficking Sting: DA Two men have been charged in connection with an undercover operation targeting underage human trafficking in Berks County, authorities announced on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Keith George Manwiller, 49, of Hummelstown, and Mathew Christian Koroma, 23, of Sinking Spring, were arrested during the sting conducted by the Berks County District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Task Force, according to Chief County Detective Michael Gombar. Both men are accused of responding to online ads placed by detectives on websites commonly used for sexual advertisements. The suspects allegedly agreed to meet and p…
Father-Daughter Who Led Human Trafficking Ring Arrested: PA AG Father-Daughter Who Led Human Trafficking Ring Arrested: PA AG
Father-Daughter Who Led Human Trafficking Ring Arrested: PA AG A father and daughter who authorities say was the leader of a long-running human trafficking ring have been arrested, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office announced on Tuesday, Oct. 22. Terrance L. Jones, 52, has been arrested leading to the disbanding of the Philadelphia-based human trafficking ring and charges against 22 people, according to PA AG. Jones had posed as a woman, known as Julia, to recruit commercial sex workers, who were then taken to and from "dates" by drivers Jones hired, the attorney general's office said. He ran the operation from his residence from 2012 through …
Bethlehem Man Gets 5 Years For Sexually Assaulting Girl He Met On Snapchat: Prosecutor Bethlehem Man Gets 5 Years For Sexually Assaulting Girl He Met On Snapchat: Prosecutor
Bethlehem Man Gets 5 Years For Sexually Assaulting Girl He Met On Snapchat: Prosecutor A 33-year-old Bethlehem, PA man was sentenced to five years in New Jersey State Prison on Friday, Sept. 27, after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in 2022, authorities said. Garry Bunting was initially charged with human trafficking of a minor, sexual assault, and other offenses in January 2022 after he met up with a 16-year-old girl he talked to on Snapchat, took her from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, and “engaged her in multiple sexual acts,” the Warren County Prosecutor's Office said. Bunting also pled guilty to endangering the welfare of a child and attempted enda…