4 From Mastic Charged In Sex Trafficking Takedown: U.S. Attorney

MASTIC, NY - A total of 11 people, all from Suffolk County, were charged with 15 counts of participating in the sex trafficking of at least 10 young women, Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of NY, announced on Wednesday — and four were from Mastic, he said.

Nine were arrested and presented before the Honorable Ona T. Wang, United States Magistrate Judge, on Wednesday afternoon.

Two are in state custody and will be presented in federal court on a future date.

According to the U.S. attorney, the following people were charged:

• Lorenzo Randall, 29, of Bay Shore
• Justin Rivera, 29, of Bay Shore
• Dwayne Conley, 50, of Bay Shore
• Ricarda Diamond, 37, of Mastic
• Brian Smith, 30, of Central Islip
• Carl Andrews, 45, of Bay Shore
• Geraldine Faustin, 30, of West Babylon
• Franklyn Francisco, 38, of Central Islip
• Anthony Darby, 26, of Mastic
• Kari Parker, 22, of Mastic
• Magen Moreau, 29, of Mastic

"The takedown of this alleged sex trafficking ring in Suffolk County is crucial in stopping predators who target the vulnerable for financial gain as well as support the victims in getting the necessary assistance they deserve," Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said.

Randall, Rivera, Conley, Diamond and Smith were all accused of conspiring to commit sex trafficking through force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion between 2012 and 2018, the U.S. attorney said.

In addition, Randall allegedly punched, choked, and spit on some of the victims, according to the U.S. attorney.

Officials say that Rivera physically assaulted and brandished a dangerous weapon at a second victim. He also withheld heroin from that victim, knowing that she was addicted to the deadly opiate, unless she engaged in commercial sex acts at his direction and for his profit, the U.S. attorney said.

Conley allegedly physically assaulted a third victim, who was also a heroin addict, and provided her with heroin in exchange for her engagement in commercial sex acts on his behalf, the U.S. attorney said.

Diamond conspired with Randall to transport a victim to locations where she engaged in commercial sex acts as forced by Randall, the U.S. attorney said.

Smith arranged for hotels rooms to be used by women, including the first victim, who were engaging in commercial sex acts on Randall's behalf, the U.S. attorney said.

Randall, Andrews, Faustin and Francisco are all members of a second conspiracy to commit sex trafficking through force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion, the U.S. attorney said.

Francisco recruited a victim to engage in commercial sex acts on behalf of Andrews, knowing that the victim was addicted to controlled substances, while Andrews falsely led the victim to believe that she would be compensated for engaging in commercial sex acts on his behalf, the U.S. attorney said.

Andrews also allegedly withheld the controlled substances from the victim unless she engaged in commercial sex acts at his direction and for his profit, the U.S. attorney said.

Randall allegedly reserved a hotel room for the purpose of the fourth victim engaging in a commercial sex act, and Faustin allegedly transported the fourth victim to locations where she engaged in commercial sex acts, the U.S. attorney said.

Randall is charged with four separate counts of sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion, in connection with the trafficking of three victims. Andrews is also charged with one count of sex trafficking of a victim by force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion.

Darby and Parker are charged with two counts of violating the Mann Act for knowingly transporting two victims to multiple states, including New York and Connecticut, with the intent that those victims engage in prostitution.

Diamond is also charged with a violation of the Mann Act.

Moreau and Darby were both charged with conspiracy to violate the Travel Act for published advertisements on the internet offering commercial sex acts.

Darby and Parker were also charged for using an account held by Parker with a classifieds website to publish advertisements on the internet offering commercial sex acts.

In addition to the six charges, Randall is charged with two counts of conspiring to violate the Travel Act for using a phone to direct a co-conspirator not named in the indictment to promote, manage, establish, carry on, and facilitate the promotion, management, establishment, and carrying on of prostitution.

Randall allegedly instructed Andrews — who is also charged in the second Travel Act conspiracy — how to purchase and publish an advertisement for a commercial sex act on the internet, which Andrews ultimately did.

Randall is charged with violating the Travel Act, with respect to illegal prostitution.

"There is a common belief that the victims of human sex trafficking aren't truly victims. However evidence in this investigation shows the suspects allegedly used whatever means necessary to control and abuse these victims just to make money," FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said. "The FBI New York Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force not only goes after the pimps and others involved in human trafficking, but we do all we can to help those girls who are being sold to start their lives again."

County works to help sex trafficking victims

In January, Suffolk County took a major step to help victims of sex and human trafficking heal from their devastating pasts.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone joined with law enforcement officials and members of the Suffolk County Task Force to Prevent Family Violence to announce a partnership with Dr. Scott Blyer, a plastic surgeon with Cameo Surgical Center, to help human and sex trafficking victims removals tattoos for free, "to remove painful reminders of their past," Bellone said.

The unveiling of the initiative came on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

"No one should have to live with a permanent mark on their body that reminds them of a violent and abusive time," Bellone said. "This new partnership brings us one step closer to helping victims of these heinous crimes recover and live a life with dignity."

Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini agreed. "We can't undo what has happened to survivors of human trafficking, but we will continue to connect them with victim advocates in my office and with the outstanding service organizations in Suffolk County. Now, with this new program, we can also try to erase the physical reminders of the horrific trauma they've endured," he said.

Sini's goal is to do everything in his power to arrest and prosecute traffickers to prevent further victimization, he said.

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day was implemented to raise awareness among Americans that human trafficking does not just happen in other countries, but in states and communities across the United States, according to Bellone's office.

Cases of human trafficking have been reported in all 50 U.S. States — and, according to the release, it is estimated that between 20 to 30 million men, women and children around the world are victims of human trafficking. Trafficking affects all communities and people, regardless of race, class, education, gender, age, or citizenship, Bellone said.

To that end, victims of human and sex trafficking are often marked or branded with tattoos ranging from the name of the trafficker, their initials, a rose, or a crown, to symbolize a traffickers' ownership over a victim.

The removal of the tattoos helps survivors of human trafficking in the recovery process, officials said.

Sex and human trafficking is very much present on Long Island, Laura Ahern, founder and executive director of Parents for Megan's Law and the Crime Victims Center, told Patch.
Removing the tattoos, she said, can be life-changing.

"I think that's a really critical part of the healing process a human trafficking victim can go through," she said. The tattoos, she added, bring back memory of trauma and the terrible experiences they endured while being trafficked.

The Crime Victims Center, she added, was one of the first organizations to help establish the human trafficking advocacy program in Suffolk County; advocates from the program go into the courts with other agencies and are assigned cases where individuals have been forced into the sex trade.

There have been successes, Ahern said, where advocates have worked closely with women who may have been struggling with drugs and been trafficked by pimps who kept them addicted "and forced them into prostitution."

The goal of the organization, she said, is to work hand in hand with other agencies to find survivors housing, drug treatment facilities, educational and employment programs, "and to bring them out of that life and give them the opportunity to live a productive life. So many people need so much help."

Many caught up in the horror of sex trafficking got involved "by no choice of their own," Ahern said. "Maybe they were taken from another country, or they had a tough upbringing and got drug addicted and pushed into a life of prostitution. It's absolutely horrible — the stories are heartbreaking. And no one should be the judge of another person until you've walked in their shoes."

Ahern also thanked Bellone for his steadfast support of victims' services programs.
Moving forward, member agencies of the Suffolk County Task Force to Prevent Family Violence will provide Dr. Blyer's practice with referrals of victims seeking to have their tattoos removed.

Tattoo removals will be provided free of charge, on a first come, first serve basis.

The Suffolk County Task Force to Prevent Family Violence seeks to educate and protect victims, increase public awareness, and help to prevent family violence, including intimate partner violence and abuse and neglect of children, adults and elders, in Suffolk County.

In 2017, Bellone said, the task force formed a human trafficking committee, which has forged alliances with hospital networks and the SCPD's Suffolk County human trafficking unit to best understand the complex issue and advocate for the implementation of policies to serve the victims.

In order to combat human trafficking in Suffolk County the Suffolk County Police Department launched a human trafficking investigations unit, the first of its kind on Long Island that "has led to record levels of human trafficking and sex crimes arrests," Bellone said.

Sini's office has a companion unit that includes prosecutors assigned to the district attorney's human trafficking team. Suffolk County's human trafficking court also connects victims to counseling, drug treatment and job training.

"Every day we perform surgeries that transform patients' lives and give them an approved self-confidence," Blyer said. "I cannot imagine the amount of courage it takes for someone to change the trajectory of their lives and leave a situation like the one being discussed today. Even after they make this huge step in their life, they still have to look in the mirror and see scars and tattoos reminding them of their horrific past."

Minerva Perez, executive director of Organización Latino-Americana of Eastern Long Island, discussed the new tattoo removal plan: "We think the initiative is great as long as the victims are not forced to become a source of information that might put them at further risk," she said. "Removing tattoos is great act of support but we need to see support that reaches into communities showing the support starts before they become victims. Those who are most vulnerable need to feel and see there is support, advocacy, therapy, safety and understanding in our community via the known and trusted avenues," she said.

Perez added: "Those avenues need to address the very real ways trust breaks down, such as lack of communication with non-English proficient people . . . When we rupture trust, we widen the gap for vulnerable folks to fall prey. Let's work on the gap and make sure our existing systems are strong and accountable."

On the East End, the "hidden crime" of human trafficking was spotlighted in September at a critical seminar in Southampton.

"Human trafficking is modern-day slavery and involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked in countries around the world, including the United States. It is estimated that human trafficking generates many billions of dollars of profit per year, second only to drug trafficking as the most profitable form of transnational crime," a release announcing the event said.

In addition, organizers said, human trafficking is a "hidden crime," as victims rarely come forward to seek help because of language barriers, fear of the traffickers, and fear of law enforcement.

Traffickers, organizer said, use force, fraud, or coercion to lure victims and force them into labor or commercial sexual exploitation.

Innovations HTC is a human rights organization working to eradicate sex and labor trafficking throughout the nation, with a goal of raising awareness to prevent human trafficking and ensuring that frontline professionals are trained to identify and effectively respond to trafficking victims.

There is a great need to address the issue in tribal communities, organizers said, with Native American women, girls, and boys all vulnerable.

In addition, the issue is critical amongst the immigrant communities on the East End, organizers said.

The conference focused on not just raising awareness, but also focus on identification and effective and culturally-appropriate techniques for first responders, as well as an understanding of victim-centered, trauma-informed approaches to identifying and supporting victims.