BOSTON — Nine people have been arrested and charged with trafficking victims for sex at three residences in Chelsea, East Boston and Lynn, and an arrest warrant has been issued for a 10th suspect, Attorney General Maura Healey announced on Thursday.
A joint investigation by local, state and federal authorities showed the homes allegedly served as fronts for human trafficking.
The arrests were made by State Police on Wednesday, and authorities have issued an arrest warrant for an additional suspect in connection with the case.
The following people were arrested and were each charged with trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, deriving support from prostitution and conspiracy to commit trafficking:
Cristina Lasso, 47, of Lynn, was arraigned in Chelsea District Court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at $100,000.
Jorge Lasso, 54, of Chelsea, was arraigned in Chelsea District Court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at $100,000.
Marlon Nagano, 37, of East Boston, was arraigned in Chelsea District Court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at $125,000.
Francisco Sanan Bay, 30, of Chelsea, was arraigned in Chelsea District Court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at $100,000.
Edmundo Rivera Gomez, 50, of Lynn, was arraigned in Chelsea District Court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at $100,000.
Donoban Yesid Arismendy Ospina, 25, of Lynn, was arraigned in Chelsea District Court and pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at $100,000.
Johana Henao Torres, 35, of Lynn, was arraigned in Chelsea District Court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at $100,000.
Fabian Galeano, 40, of East Boston, was arraigned in East Boston District Court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at $20,000.
Luis Londono, 44, of Marlborough, was arraigned in Marlborough District Court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at $10,000.
An investigation revealed that the defendants allegedly ran an organized criminal enterprise through various local residences, including in Lynn, where they offered customers the opportunity to pay to have sex with the victims, according to the Attorney General’s office.
The suspects allegedly recruited victims by advertising sexual services, setting up locations and appointments for sexual encounters, transporting the victims, bringing customers into the residences and facilitating the exchange of money, prosecutors said.
In addition to bail being set, conditions of release for the defendants arraigned in Chelsea District Court include being fitted with a GPS monitoring device, having no contact with any victim, witness or each other, and staying away from the alleged crime scenes. Each is due back in Chelsea District Court on Sept. 4.
Conditions of release for Galeano include that he be fitted with a GPS monitoring device, have no contact with any victim or witness, and that he surrender his passport. Galeano is due back in East Boston District Court on Aug. 27.
Conditions of release for Londono include that he be fitted with a GPS monitoring device and that he surrender his passport. Londono is due back in Marlborough District Court on Aug. 26.
The investigation was led by the Massachusetts State Police High Risk Victims Unit and Attorney General’s State Police Detective Unit, with assistance from the State Police Troop A, Troop A Community Action Team, Crime Scene Services, Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, Gang Unit, and Middlesex, Essex and Suffolk State Police Detective Units; the Lynn, Chelsea, Marlborough, Boston, Cambridge and Lexington Police Departments; and Homeland Security Investigations.
The investigation remains ongoing.
There was some confusion on social media about arrests made in Lynn on Wednesday that appeared to be related to the investigation.
There were reports that the arrests were made by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outside a Walgreens on Joyce Street, but a spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office said that was misinformation. However, she wouldn’t confirm where the suspects were taken into custody on human trafficking charges in the city.
John, an employee at Walgreens, who declined to give his last name, said he was working when arrests were made at the store. He called the incident “unnerving.”
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shewhomustbeobeyed ago
You need to provide a link to the article that you got this from, please.
https://www.itemlive.com/2019/08/01/nine-arrested-on-sex-trafficking-charges-in-lynn-east-boston-and-chelsea/ - https://archive.is/YYUUK
dutchmane ago
Oh I wasn't aware that was mandatory. I know nothing. Thank you though.
shewhomustbeobeyed ago
Yes, it's in the rules in the side bar. You can edit in the link I gave you or use another one. Thank you for this submission.
dutchmane ago
I tried but I don't have enough ccp to post a link yet. Should I delete the post?
Vindicator ago
Is this true, Dut h? You can't edit your submission to include a link?
shewhomustbeobeyed ago
I really don't know the answer to that. Maybe break the link so it will post, and since I've posted a link and an archive that will be enough.
The mods would be the ones to ask.
Vindicator ago
Thanks SWMBO for helping teach nnobs the ropes
shewhomustbeobeyed ago
Sure