Feds file more charges in Block trafficking case
Federal authorities in El Paso, Texas have filed additional charges against 10 people from Baltimore being held in a trafficking case involving The Block and strip clubs across the country. Prosecutors are calling the case a "forced prostitution" scheme.
The alleged leader, Alarcon Allen "Tha Don" Wiggins, 43, and nine other city residents had been charged with transporting for the purpose of prostitution. A superseding indictment unsealed on Thursday charges the defendants with conspiracy to commit human trafficking and sex trafficking by force.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Texas alleges the group leaders called themselves concert promoters to allegedly lure women into their group and then force them to dance at strip clubs, including at The Block, and to be prostitutes. One of the bars mentioned in the indictment is Chez Joey on East Baltimore Street, shown above in the picture by The Sun's Gene Sweeney Jr.
Prosecutors said the group had strict rules, confiscated the women's cell phones and identification cards, and set minimums for pay, all of which were taken by the leaders. Rules, prosecutors said, "prohibited any communication by the victims and personal interaction with anyone outside the group without the defendants permission."
On Sunday, The Sun published a long article on the case and interviewed one of the women involved. The story documents how several women escaped, helped others to get out and then helped the FBI. All 10 suspects were arrested at a single family house off Harford Road in Northeast Baltimore.
Here is a statement from federal prosecutors on the case:
EL PASO FEDERAL GRAND JURY RETURNS SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT IN BALTIMORE BASED FEDERAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING INVESTIGATION
United States Attorney Robert Pitman and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Mark Morgan announced that ten individuals, including the C.E.O. of 424 Records, 1 Team 1 Family Entertainment, DBD TV and DBD Productions in Baltimore, Maryland, face additional charges in connection with a forced prostitution scheme based in El Paso and Baltimore.
Alarcon Allen Wiggins (aka “Alarcon Tha Don”), age 43, and nine other Baltimore residents are charged in a superseding indictment returned late yesterday afternoon for their roles in a human trafficking/forced prostitution operation. The other defendants include: 20-year-old DeAngelo Perry Smith (aka “D-Lo”); 23-year-old Deyonta Thompson (aka “Wezz Fresh”); 18-year-old Marc Corey Williams (aka “DJ Yung Rock,” “J-Rock”); 28-year-old Martes Milton Jackson (aka “Tuesday”); 25-year-old Shelby Nicole Smith (aka “Bebe”); 30-year-old Roxanne Michelle Mitchell (aka “Nakira,” “Foxy,” “Roxy,” “Mama,” “Cherish”); 26-year-old Amanda Gayle Darbonne (aka “Kristale,” “Kristal”); 24-year-old Holly N. Reemer (aka “Amira”); and, 22-yearold Brandi L. Minnich (aka “Natasha”).
The superseding indictment charges all of the defendants with conspiracy to commit human trafficking; conspiracy to transport for prostitution; conspiracy to coerce and entice for prostitution; benefitting financially from forced labor; and, three counts of sex trafficking induced by force, fraud or coercion. Wiggins, Smith, Thompson, Williams and Jackson also face three counts of forced labor. Wiggins is also charged with two counts of concealing, removing or confiscating identification documents; Thompson and Smith, one count of concealing, removing or confiscating identification documents.
The superseding indictment alleges that defendants Wiggins, Smith, Thompson, Williams and Jackson–all self-proclaimed recording artists–used their ties to the music industry to recruit young women then force them to work as strippers and prostitutes.
Furthermore, the indictment charges that defendants Smith, Mitchell, Darbonne, Reemer and Minnich allegedly trained the recruited women to work as strippers and prostitutes, then enforced the organization’s rules including preventing the victims from fleeing or seeking help. The indictment alleges that the defendants confiscated all means of communication from the victims, namely cell phones and laptop computers; confiscated all identification documents from victims; prohibited any communication by the victims and personal interaction with anyone outside the group without the defendants’ permission or in their presence; and, collected all victims’ earnings for the benefit of the defendants.
The superseding indictment also charges that since January 2009, the defendants, aided and abetted by one another and under the direction of Wiggins, knowingly transported individuals in interstate commerce, as well as enticed individuals to travel in interstate commerce, to El Paso and other locations, to engage in prostitution.
“This indictment represents the culmination of hard work done by federal, state and local agents in El Paso, Texas and Baltimore, Maryland. Human Traffickers often target innocent victims seeking a better lifestyle for themselves or their families. The FBI is committed to rigorously investigating these types of criminal violations in an effort to maintain safety throughout the El Paso community,” stated Mark Morgan, FBI Special Agent in Charge, El Paso Division.
The indictment also contains a notice of criminal forfeiture whereby the government is seeking to forfeit $1 million dollars, which represent proceeds allegedly derived from the criminal activity.
Upon conviction, each defendant faces: a minimum of 15 years and up to life in federal prison per count for conspiracy to commit human trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; up to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to coerce or entice for prostitution; and, up to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to transport for prostitution.
Also, Wiggins, Smith, Thompson, Williams and Jackson face up to 20 years in federal prison upon conviction for each forced labor count. Thompson, Smith and Wiggins are subject to a maximum five years in federal prison for each concealing, removing or confiscating identification documents charge.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Baltimore Police Department S.W.A.T. team assisted in making the arrests. Assistant United States Attorney J. Brandy Gardes and Daniel Crumby are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
As a note, the Western District of Texas has been selected as the site of one of six Pilot Federal Anti-Trafficking Coordination Teams (ACTeams).
The ACTeam Initiative, adopted jointly by Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, brings together federal agents from FBI, ICE-HSI, DOL Wage and Hour Division, and DOL OIG, and federal prosecutors in United States Attorneys
Comments
Concerned citizens may report suspected cases of human trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-3737-888. (Most languages spoken.) If more decent people reported what they sensed to be wrong, this slave trade could be curtailed. These businesses are springing up in strip malls, often as "spas" and in houses within neighborhoods right under our noses. Watchful eyes could make a huge difference.
Posted by: Joan Darcy | November 11, 2011 8:51 AM
Hope those animals rot. In these pimp cases, the women are controlled through the deprivation of basic essential needs like soap, toothpaste, and even food, all of which must be "earned" by working for these savages. After a while, the victims learn to depend on their pimp and will actually defend them because that's their only ticket to the basic essential needs.
Posted by: Joe Piner | November 11, 2011 9:42 AM
If only the government would stop conflating all prostitution with sex slavery! In cases where men/women/ children were victims, there would be far more resources available to help them, and those of us who have never been a victim of sex slavery could turn in those abusive employers just like anyone else in any other job. A bad employer is a bad employer whether one is engaging in sex work or domestic servitude, and that's when the government should act- and help make every job safe and free from coercion. Joe Piner, how many actual prostitutes do you know who are in situations like you mentioned? As a sex worker rights activist, I have met thousands and thousands of them around the world and so I would say that I am much more familiar with our situation than you are. We do not live in the conditions you describe. Don't be spouting off about something of which you know so little. There are wives who are in the very same position as you claim prostitutes are- wives who are victims of domestic violence and spousal abuse- and yet we don't call for the abolition of marriage to stop the abuse. Do you really think all prostitutes are so mindless that we cannot ascertain when we are victims and when we are not? What a patronizing and ignorant person you are!
Posted by: Norma Jean Almodovar | November 11, 2011 10:58 AM
lil sistas, please stop trying to be grown, i mean nobody should have to go thru this, but what i am saying is dont be so gullable to these lil thugs, dont be so trustworthy, have a buddy system, when you first meet somebody, for instance, tell a girlfriend or fam member that you met this a guy, how he look, and give details about him, just in case shit get stinky, remember every thing that look good to ya, aint always good for ya, take your time, dont give in to their temptation, be strong, trust your instincts, make him wait, dont brag about how independent you are, dont let him know you live alone, glad to see some lil sistas holding down their own, but dont go to clubs, get drunk, and brag about it, god bless the child thats got his/her own, dont leave your drink unattended in a bar, and if he ask to buy your drink, dont let him go and get it, follow his ass, and keep a eye on the bartender, they are cahoose, respect yourself and men will to, god forgive me, they know who to go after, fast women who is looking to have fun, but even they dont deserve this kind of abuse, they are still somebody, thank god that the ones who escape, helped with the FBI, lil sistas i pray for yall, remember, YOU ARE SOMEBODY,YOU ARE PROUD,BLACK,STRONG,BEAUTIFUL, dont let no one tell you different, KNOW THAT YOU ROCK, IN JESUS NAME< AMEN.
Posted by: ms. mack | November 12, 2011 5:35 PM
Unfortunatley I personally know several of the main low lifes (Allen-Wiggins,Jackson,Thompson,Williams) including several of the more then willing women,(Smith,Mitchell,Darbonne,Reemer) and I am hear to say none of these women that I mentioned above are angels. Its called making choices. And they chose to hang out with,pro create and have an inhumane,illegal business with this "man". If any of these women took 5 minutes of their time to "google" him in general or look at or listen to rap videos you could have had a glimpse of what kind of person you were dealing with.Stripping,drinking,drugs,having numerous children by pimps,deadbeats,criminals etc is not a lifestyle anyone should be seeking out, and to go online and jump up and leave family and friends behind on a whim all across the country to be apart of and to join an unknown and unheard of "tour" by an unknown and unheard "band" isnt the smartess thing to for anyone of any age to do,if it sounds too good to be true, then it most definitely is,anyone with half a brain could look at OR talk to anyone of these "424 Records" individuals and know they were up to no good and NOT in the least bit legit,Allen-Wiggins is a predator that evidently preys on mostly white women from the ages of 12-30 years old, preferably with low self esteem,a drug habit,living on the edge of society without any ties to real friends or family,(the more estranged the better and easier for him to work his "gift of gab")Allen-Wiggins have been doing this along with alot of other seriously illegal things that law enforcement have yet to discover,alot longer then December 2009,not only was there prostitution,human trafficking,kidnapping,drug dealing and drug use,etc, among a laundry list of other things that is that I wont go into,BUT the physical and emotional abuse and neglect of infants and children were taking place all the way up until the arrest of these males and females,(I wont refer to them as men or women because they are neither)but when a call was placed from an associate they would just disappear,pick up and leave,gone in the wind,several of these children in this "group" are of school age and several of these women were receiving assistance from the government,food stamps,medical assistance,etc so why werent they investigated and incarcerated BEFORE Oct 2011? Why werent anyone alerted and alarmed from the childrens school records? Maybe if they werent free to get away with this anti social,immoral,depraved,disgusting,filthy,sleazy lifestyle for so long it wouldnt have been able to advance into this monstrocity it now is. Im sorry but I dont see anyone involved in this"Stripper/Prositution Ring" as a poor,victim,I know BeBe and Cherish and they do what they want as long as they profit,J Roc aka "Alarcon the Don" is physically abusive,HOWEVER,from what I saw it was mutually and not only did Smith and Mitchell chose to stay,they also chose to continue to have children with him and had ample opprotunity to walk away,instead they chose to help with and commit Welfare fraud,identity theft,tax invasion,car accident scams,stripper/prostitute recruitement,training,and obtaining illegal profits and with that being said,as far as any of the defendants being the victims I dont see it,the only innocent victims are all of these children born and soon to be born from these pimps,deadbeats,bottomfeeders,whores and strippers for parents. At least now that the government is involved those "ring leaders" can and will get the punishment that they so rightfully deserve. And to know that several of this "female ring leaders'' have children by this miscreant is digraceful to say the least.(Roxanne Mitchell aka Foxxy has an alleged teen by Allen-Wiggins and Shelby Smith aka BeBe is due to drop number 4 several by "johns" several alleged by Allen-Wiggins anyday now)Please put these douchebags in prison long enough so their kids can have a real chance at a normal,stable life with law abiding,normal folks. One phone call,one voice can make a difference BUT not if its being ignored. What is done in the dark always come to the light and thank GOD for that. Good luck to the rest of the ones that got away from these degenerates.
Posted by: Luckyone | November 12, 2011 9:48 PM
What I cant understand all of these young men have mothers and fathers. Why didnt they ask questions about where all this money and lavish lifestyle living was coming from. One of the mothers visited them in Texas and I cant beleive she didnt notice someting out of wack with the scene. Some of us are so damn blinded by the almighty dollar that what our kids do we turn a blind eye to this, I just think this situation is horriable we cant blame anyone of these girls for telling. They didnt want to continue to live like this so they told and got out. I would do the same thing too. I am a young girl and thiscould have easily been me!! When the sht hits the fan it blows really hard!!
Posted by: Damn Shame! | November 13, 2011 6:10 PM
luckyone PLEASE email me. you said you knew reemer. I am her sister and am trying to figure out what she has done, I am trying to get the truth.I know she knows what she did but i am her babysister and I just want to know. My life is seeming to be consumed with this that she has gotten herself into.
rickiereemer@yahoo.com
Posted by: Rickie | November 20, 2011 3:31 AM