The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office has indicted seven individuals tied to two human trafficking operations in Essex and Cumberland counties. The investigations uncovered severe exploitation, including physical violence and the coercion of victims into forced sex work.
Essex County Operation
Khailah Meekins, 21, and Donte Barkley, 28, face charges for trafficking three juveniles aged 13 and 15 in Newark. Victims were lured through online ads and forced into sexual encounters at short-term rentals and hotels. Authorities say Barkley controlled the encounters, set prices, and took a share of the earnings, while Meekins directly profited from the assaults.
The victims endured threats and brutal abuse, including being hit with extension cords, punched, and stomped. Richard Johnson, 24, of Irvington, was previously indicted on charges related to aggravated sexual assault.
Cumberland County Operation
Usiel Luna, 42, and three co-defendants—Jose Perez-Lopez, 40, Rosendo Vazquez-Hernandez, 35, and Yerson Puentes-Marquez, 28—are accused of running a brothel in Bridgeton, which was linked to a drug distribution ring. Women were allegedly recruited under false pretenses and forced to perform sex acts for payment.
Law enforcement reports that victims were trafficked weekly from Queens, New York, and Paterson, New Jersey. They were coerced into serving hundreds of men each week. Authorities seized drugs, $50,000 in cash, and additional evidence from the operation.
State’s Commitment to Combat Human Trafficking
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin commended the Human Trafficking Unit, established in 2023, for its efforts to dismantle trafficking networks. “There is no tolerance for the exploitation of anyone, especially in this dehumanizing way,” Platkin said.
The New Jersey State Police, Division of Criminal Justice, and federal agencies, including the FBI, collaborated on the investigations. Authorities urged the public to report suspected trafficking to the confidential hotline, 855-END-NJ-HT.
Charges remain accusations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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