Ask any law enforcement officer and they’ll tell you – some of the hardest cases to crack are the sex trafficking ones. Whether it’s because the victims, who are usually women, have been threatened with deportation or physical violence, or have been fed a steady diet of drugs that they are now addicted to, they are too afraid to talk. And so their traffickers control them with very little fear that they will be exposed. But every once in awhile the cops get lucky.
According to numerous media sources, a sex trafficking ring was busted recently in Minneapolis, and it’s proving to be the largest take-down so far in US history. Acting U.S. Attorney Gregory Brooker explained in an indictment that hundreds of women had been smuggled from Thailand to the US, where they were kept as sex slaves. Brooker says that the women were lured in by the promise of a better life and an opportunity to get good jobs in the US, but were then held against their will and forced to work as prostitutes. They were told that they were free to go as soon as they were able to pay off their bondage debts, which were in amounts so high that none of them would ever be able to earn that much.
The women said that they had no freedom to say when they engaged in sex for pay, how often, with whom, or what acts they were required to perform. Once it was over, the majority of their money was taken by their captors, who also charged them rent and made them pay for their own food. They were also encouraged to undergo plastic surgery procedures, which were then deducted from their earnings.
Once here in the US, they were circulated through several prostitution houses where they worked very long hours and were forced to repeatedly have sex with strangers for money. They were not protected from abusive clients that sometimes harmed them. According to Brooker, there have now been 38 people charged who are accused of being involved in this particular crime ring.
The most recent indictment, which allows Homeland Security to go after the crime ring’s financial resources. Beginning in 2009, they brought poor Thai women who spoke no English into the US, via several major cities. There they were held hostage, and told that if they tried to escape, their families back in Thailand would be harmed.
Homeland Security Investigations in Minneapolis began looking into a particular sex-trafficking case in the Twin Cities in 2014, where they discovered the Thailand connection. From there they pursued the case and finally discovered that a massive organized crime ring was operating right under their noses.
In addition to the sex crimes, the business operated as a money laundering front.
The women were required to open bank accounts in Thailand, which the crime ring operated, and used to hide large sums of money. They also smuggled large quantities of cash out of the country into Thailand, hidden in everyday objects like dolls and clothes.
So far, according to law enforcement, numerous brothels have been shut down, many victims have been rescued, and over twenty crime bosses have been arrested. Of the people arrested so far, most of them were house bosses who ran the brothels, organizers who scheduled clients, and money launderers.
Although this didn’t take place here in Michigan, it is worth noting, as it is currently the largest take-down of a sex trafficking operating on US soil. Currently, Michigan has numerous laws in place to protect the victims of sex trafficking, and prosecute ‘pimps’ and others pandering sexual favors for money. Michigan has a large number of victims of sex trafficking.
If you, or a family member or loved one have been accused of a sex crime, whether it was prostitution, pandering, or some other form of illegal sexual activity like rape, we can help you. Call The Kronzek Firm at 866 766 5245 immediately to speak with an experienced sex crime defense attorney. We are available 24/7 to assist you during times of legal crisis.