SAN DIEGO (CNS) – Two dozen alleged North Park gang members and their associates are charged in an indictment unsealed Wednesday as members of a racketeering conspiracy linked to the trafficking of women and girls as young as 15, a murder nearly 20 years ago and robbery and drug offenses.
U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said a combination of two gangs, dubbed “BMS” by law enforcement, earned money by trafficking 60 girls and women from ages 15 to 25 for prostitution in 46 cities in 23 states, including Alaska and Hawaii.
“Over the last several years, the defendants in this enterprise had really expanded enterprise activities, like a profit-driven, fast-expanding corporation,” Duffy said. “The kind of sex trafficking described in the indictment is nothing less than modern-day slavery. Unfortunately, this is something we’re beginning to see more and more with gangs, moving away from some of the traditional gang behavior into this type of business.”
Early Wednesday, police and FBI agents arrested 14 of the suspects in San Diego, two in Arizona and one in New Jersey. Four of the defendants were already in custody on other charges, according to Duffy.
Named in the indictment are San Diego residents Aaron Dwayne Pittman, 31; Alvin Bernard Mitchell, 36; Robert Banks III, 33; Hakeem Tayari Dunn, 33; Marcus Anthony Stevenson, 29; Labarron Carnell Coker, 32; Malik Hassan Kelly, 32; Harold Randolph Martin, 32; Anthony Dwayne Edmond, 28; Tony Brown, 32; Jakari Deandrez Blake, 23; Jonathan Devon Price, 23; Bradley West Reynolds, 24; Akili Lynn Cobb, 26; Christopher Michael Wall, 28; Everett Burdette Williams, 25; Marcus John Anthony Griffin, 26; Edward Reynolds, 27; Nicole Lee Rice, 25; Yasenia Armentaro, 22; and Nadine Davis, 23.
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