Crime
The victim, who was homeless at the time she was targeted, was held against her will and forced to engage in sexual acts, prosecutors say.
Two women from Dorchester are facing charges in connection with an alleged human trafficking operation spanning two states that reportedly targeted a homeless victim, authorities said.
Yuberkys Recci, 29, and Keysha Ortiz, 37, were arrested at a Magnolia Street home around 6 a.m. Monday in a “multi-agency operation,” the Boston Police Department said in a Facebook post.
The investigation into Recci and Ortiz, who authorities say are housemates and girlfriends, was launched after a woman stepped forward alleging she had been sex trafficked, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office said in a press release.
Alleged trafficking victim describes captivity
The victim told investigators that, while she was homeless in Boston, a man coerced her into commercial sex work under the pretense of helping her find a job, according to the DA’s office.
Prosecutors said she was transported to various Airbnbs and hotels to engage in sex acts in exchange for money, which the man kept.
The unidentified man introduced the victim to Recci, who allegedly then photographed her and posted advertisements on a classified website to promote commercial sex, Hayden’s office said.
Prosecutors said Recci confiscated the money the victim earned and kept her against her will in a Dorchester apartment by taking away her IDs, phone, and personal belongings. She was only allowed to leave to engage in sex work, according to the DA’s office.
During one incident of the alleged sex trafficking scheme, Recci held a gun, retrieved by Ortiz from another room, to the victim’s head, Hayden’s office said.
Recci subsequently moved the victim to a hotel in Manchester, New Hampshire, where she was held captive under conditions similar to those in the Dorchester apartment, prosecutors said.
The victim was later taken by Recci to another woman in Cambridge, where she managed to escape after spending two nights there, according to Hayden’s office.
Investigators began tracking the suspect through social media profiles and commercial sex advertisements after the victim came forward.
The contact details listed in the advertisements displaying the victim included Instagram and Snapchat accounts. Investigators traced the phone number associated with those accounts to an address on Magnolia Street, the same street on which the defendants were arrested, according to the DA’s office.
Within the Snapchat account, authorities discovered videos and photos showing a woman with a large butterfly tattoo on her neck, according to Hayden’s office. Prosecutors said investigators then searched motor vehicles records for the Dorchester residence, linking the location to a suspended license belonging to Recci.
The DA’s office said the license photo “clearly depicted” the woman with the neck tattoo seen on Snapchat.
Additionally, prosecutors said investigators found posts connecting the Snapchat account to the CashApp profile used to collect payments for the victim’s sexual acts.
Investigators tracked Ortiz using a GPS monitor she was wearing in connection with a prior firearm charge. The tracking data placed her at one of the hotels in New Hampshire where the victim was allegedly trafficked, Hayden’s office said.
During the arrest at the Magnolia Street home, authorities recovered a loaded 9-millimeter pistol and 200 rounds of ammunition, police said. The DA’s office noted authorities additionally recovered suspected cocaine and fentanyl and drug distribution paraphernalia.
“This was extraordinary detective work that put together all the pieces of a disturbing multi-state sex trafficking operation and led to these two women appearing in court to answer for their actions,” Hayden said in a statement. “We will give this victim, as we give all trafficking victims, all the support she requires as the case moves forward.”
Defendants face trafficking, firearm, and drug charges
The two women are charged in the Dorchester division of the Boston Municipal Court.
According to court records, Recci has been charged with kidnapping, trafficking of a person for sexual servitude, deriving support from prostitution, assault with a dangerous weapon, and witness intimidation.
Recci’s charges also include intent to distribute Class A drugs and cocaine, as well as multiple weapons offenses, including possession of a firearm and ammunition without an FID card and possession of a large capacity feeding device, court records show.
Ortiz is charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition without an FID card, possession of a firearm with three prior violent or drug crimes, possession of a large capacity feeding device, class A possession with intent to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, according to prosecutors.
During their arraignments Monday, both Recci and Ortiz were ordered held without bail pending a July 16 dangerousness hearing, Hayden’s office said.
Attorney information for both defendants was not immediately available Tuesday evening.
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