Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy Commemorates the Two-Year Anniversary of the Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Unit

BOSTON - Two years ago today, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts formally announced the creation of the Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Unit (HTCRU). This specialized team - comprised of federal prosecutors, victim witness specialists and support personnel - is dedicated to protecting human rights and holding perpetrators of human trafficking accountable.

Since its establishment, HTCRU has become a leader within the Department of Justice in terms of prosecuting individuals who engage in human trafficking.

"Today marks the two-year anniversary of the HTCRU, a unit that, I am sorry to say, has been a huge success because it has revealed how serious and widespread a problem human trafficking is in our communities. Commercial sexual exploitation of children and vulnerable adults has no place in the District of Massachusetts. The dedicated team in this unit has worked tirelessly to eradicate these harms and atrocities while also tackling allegations of excessive police force, hate crimes, and labor trafficking said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. "Our office is determined to hold traffickers liable for their deplorable crimes."

Over the last two years, in close collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement partners, our Office has prosecuted over 20 cases with numerous defendants. For example, in U.S. v. Stavros Papantoniadis, the defendant was convicted at trial for forced labor charges. He was found guilty of forcing or attempting to force six victims to work for him while physically and mentally abusing them. The defendant also targeted immigrants who he could exploit due to their vulnerability. Additionally, Jimall Brown, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release after being convicted of sex trafficking a minor and two adults, while collecting all of the proceeds for himself and others.

This Unit has targeted not just traffickers but also the purchasers of sex who fuel the demand for exploited victims of sex trafficking. Our office has charged sex buyers federally where possible, such as in our recent prosecutions of US v. David Cannon / US v. Misael Medina / US v. Dmitri McKenzie, all for attempting to purchase sex with minors. In cases where there is not federal jurisdiction, we have worked to make state referrals to ensure that these sex buyers are held accountable.

The HTCRU coordinates trainings, including survivor-led trainings to identify trends in the community while learning how the office can improve work with victims. Labor trafficking training has been provided to both federal employees and state inspectors to recognize key indicators of exploitation. This team also works with local and state law enforcement agencies, as well as non-government organizations, to hold predators accountable and protect survivors' rights.

If you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please call your local police department or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or contact [email protected].