Two Men Charged with Human Trafficking in Howard County

Two Virginia men have been charged with human trafficking after they tried to give an undercover detective a job as an “escort,” according to the Howard County Police Department.

James Michael Warhurst, 32, of Manassas, Va., and Ali Reza Rohanimanesh, 28, of Front Royal, Va., are charged with human trafficking and two counts of prostitution, police reported.

Warhurst contacted an undercover detective in October on social media and offered her a job as an escort in which she would perform sex acts with multiple people each night for money, and give a percentage of her earnings to him, the report said. In addition, police said she would be expected to engage in sex acts with Warhurst.

He also offered a job to her “friend,” police reported.

The undercover detective and her friend arranged to meet Warhurst and his driver Rohanimanesh at a location in the 10000 block of Washington Boulevard in Laurel, where he would take them to start their new jobs in Virginia, according to police.

When they showed up in Laurel on Nov. 5, the undercover detective took them into custody, police reported.

Warhurst is being held on $25,000 bail at the Howard County Detention Center, according to police, who said bail for Rohanimanesh is set at $10,000.