LOS ANGELES — When law enforcement officials last week announced the arrest of six members of a South Los Angeles street gang on sex trafficking charges, it was the accumulation of an ongoing operation that began last September between city, county and federal law enforcement agencies.
The suspects were arrested on federal charges alleging they acted as pimps to promote and manage sex trafficking of adults and minors on the notorious Figueroa corridor in South Los Angeles.
Federal prosecutors said the 31-count indictment constitutes the first major takedown of a sex trafficking operation on the 3.5-mile stretch of Figueroa Street from Gage Avenue south to Imperial Highway, which is known as a haven for commercial sex workers and customers.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman, who wasn’t even in office when the operation began 11 months ago, commended the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Los Angeles Police Department, and other involved agencies.
“I strongly applaud the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles Police Department for their critical work dismantling this heinous sex trafficking operation in South Los Angeles and bringing these predators to justice,” Hochman said. “The individuals being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office preyed on some of the most vulnerable in our community, including children. Far too often, we see countless people become victims at the hands of this multi-billion-dollar business that is nothing short of modern-day slavery.
The defendants were charged with racketeering conspiracy, including sex trafficking of children and adults through force, fraud or coercion.
Involved in the investigation were prosecutors and investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Los Angeles office, the Los Angeles Police Department South Bureau Human Trafficking Task Force and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force.
“My office’s Sex Crimes Division’s Human Sex Trafficking Section is committed to continuing this important work in partnership with law enforcement and the federal authorities with the clear message that we will not tolerate exploitation and dehumanization,” Hochman added. “For those operating in the sex trafficking industry in Los Angeles County, please know: We are coming for you.”
Since January, Hochman has filed several cases against people accused of sex trafficking crimes. They include:
• Derran Adkins, who is charged with one felony count each of human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act by force, fear, fraud or threat of injury, and human trafficking of an adult. He also faces allegations of personal infliction of great bodily injury during the commission of these offenses. A preliminary hearing setting is scheduled Sept. 24.
• Fabian Gilbert, who is charged with one felony count of pandering and one count of felony possession of a firearm by a felon. He faces a special allegation of committing a new felony offense while out on bail. A pretrial conference is scheduled Sept. 5.
• Christopher Marcel Gardner and Bryan Lamont Peete, who are charged with two felony counts each of human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act. The defendants have a pretrial conference scheduled Sept. 4 and are currently awaiting jury trial.
• Jayde Noel Becerra and Caelan Myles Wilkerson, who are charged with three felony counts of human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act. Becerra is further charged with one felony count each of pandering an adult and carrying an unregistered loaded handgun on one’s person or in a vehicle. Wilkerson is charged with three felony counts of human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act. Both are scheduled for a preliminary hearing setting on Aug. 21.
• Julian Alexander Montez, who is charged with two felony counts of human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing setting on Aug. 29.
• Floyd Weathersby, who is charged with one felony count of human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act. A preliminary hearing setting is scheduled Sept. 3.
• Rafael Soto, who is charged with one felony count of human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act. A preliminary hearing is scheduled Aug. 21.
• Tydavien Carpenter, who is charged with one felony count of human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act, and two felony counts of pimping an adult. A preliminary hearing setting is scheduled Aug. 26.
• Jacquin Fitzgeral Goss, who is charged with one felony count each of human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act, and lewd act upon a child age 14 or 15. A preliminary hearing setting is scheduled Oct. 1.
• Jahlil Malk McKissack, who was charged Aug. 5 with one felony count each of human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act by force, fear, fraud or threat of injury, lewd act upon a child age 14 or 15, and human trafficking of an adult.
Hochman also announced a successful prosecution on sex trafficking charges. William Dixon was convicted April 17 on one felony count of human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act and was sentenced to five years in state prison.
According to Hochman, Dixon met a 16-year-old female on social media and convinced her to take a bus from Ohio to Los Angeles to meet him. Shortly after meeting Dixon, the victim began working as a sex worker in the Figueroa Corridor and was trafficked for about three months until she was rescued by law enforcement.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Emily Chai and investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department.
“I want to thank the deputy district attorneys who work tirelessly to build and prosecute these complex and traumatic cases,” Hochman said. “Their relentlessness and dedication as they pursue justice are essential in protecting these survivors and bringing traffickers to justice.”
The suspects arrested last week are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“There are no meaningful consequences for their conduct under state law, so the federal government — aided by its local law enforcement partners — will step in to make sure these criminals face lengthy prison sentences,” acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said last week.
“The exploitation of vulnerable women and children through sex trafficking is one of the most heinous crimes our society faces,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. “The victims in these cases — many of them minors, runaways, or from the foster care system — were preyed upon by individuals who sought to profit from their pain.
“The Los Angeles Police Department remains steadfast in its commitment to working with our federal partners to dismantle these criminal networks, bring their perpetrators to justice, and ensure survivors receive the protection and support they deserve.”
