Thread: Mexican convicted in sex trafficking case in Ga.

Mexican convicted in sex trafficking case in Ga.

By Greg Bluestein
Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010 5:53 AM
Last updated 6:06 AM

ATLANTA - A Mexican man was convicted Tuesday on federal charges of orchestrating a sex trafficking scheme in which prosecutors say he lured impoverished young Mexican women to the Atlanta area with false promises of better lives, high-paying jobs and even hints of romance.

Amador Cortes-Meza, 36, could face life in prison after a jury in U.S. District Court convicted him of the 19 counts he was facing, including sex trafficking of minors, conspiracy and smuggling charges for bringing the women to metro Atlanta and then making them work as prostitutes. A sentencing date has not been set.

Prosecutors said Cortes-Meza and several of his relatives targeted uneducated women and then paid smugglers to bring them across the border illegally. They said he even convinced a 14-year-old girl that he loved her to get her to make the trip. In all, he was accused of bringing at least 10 women to the area between spring 2006 and June 2008.

But when the women arrived, prosecutors say Cortes-Meza was transformed into a ruthless pimp. The women said they were forced to work as prostitutes indefinitely to repay transportation costs and living expenses. And if they didn't, they often faced consequences.

Some days, prosecutors said, Cortes-Meza brutally beat the women with irons, electric cords and other items. At other times, he threatened to go after a loved one. A victim testified during the two-week trial that Cortes-Meza told her he would kill her parents in Mexico if he were ever arrested.

Soon, prosecutors say, the women were caught in a complex operation.

Cortes-Meza arranged for drivers to pick up the girls and drive them to clients throughout greater Atlanta and as far away as North Carolina. New women would sometimes be forced to perform sexual acts with more than 20 people on their first night, and on busy nights with more than 40 customers, according to court testimony.

Cortes-Meza's defense attorneys contended that prosecutors couldn't prove their client forced the women into prostitution, a key to proving several of the counts. But prosecutors said they had overwhelming evidence indicating that the women did not willingly work for Cortes-Meza.

"He treated these women like merchandise, like goods for sale, something he could just import into Georgia to fatten his wallet," federal prosecutor Karima Maloney said in opening arguments.

Authorities said Cortes-Meza is the latest in his family to face prison - his brother Juan and two nephews have already been sentenced to years behind bars on similar charges. U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said the case provided a "glimpse into the monstrous world of human trafficking."

"This defendant preyed on the most vulnerable of victims - girls and young women hoping for a better life," she said. "We are committed to giving voice to the victims of these horrific crimes and holding the defendants accountable."

http://chronicle.augusta.com/latest-new ... ng-case-ga

What a nice family just waiting on amnesty, until they got caught!!!

Trial Begins for Mexican in Sex Trafficking Case

Updated: Wednesday, 10 Nov 2010, 7:00 AM EST
Published : Tuesday, 09 Nov 2010, 11:37 AM EST

VIDEO by DOUG EVANS/myfoxatlanta

ATLANTA - A 26-year-old former college student from Mexico told a jury that she was forced into a life of prostitution in Gwinnett County Tuesday. Amador Cortes-Meza was in federal court this week facing trial in the human trafficking case.

Federal prosecutors told a jury that Cortes-Meza was the mastermind and ringleader of a prostitution business in Gwinnett County that enslaved young girls from Mexico.

Prosecutors say Cortes-Meza ran the ring with his brother Juan Cortes-Meza and two nephews, Raul and Francisco Cortes-Meza.

On Tuesday, a 26-year-old college student from Mexico testified that Amador Cortes-Meza kidnapped her from her village in Mexico and brought to a home in Norcross. It was there that the woman said she was forced into a life of prostitution.

The woman testified that she worked seven days a week for no pay and the ring kept all of the money. The former college student said Amador Cortes-Meza kept her from contacting her family and beat her if she did not comply.

The government says some of the women were brought against their will, or romanced with promises of marriage or a job in the United States. Nine women are expected to testify in the trial.

According to investigators, the ring operated out of five homes in Norcross and one in Cartersville.

Juan Cortes-Meza, Raul Cortes-Meza and Francisco Cortes-Meza have already pleaded guilty to federal sex trafficking charges. Juan Cortes-Meza was given 16 years in prison, Raul Cortes-Meza received 10 years in prison and Francisco Cortes-Meza was sentenced to 20 years.

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/lo ... 1109-ap-sd

Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Four Defendants Sentenced in Human Trafficking Ring
Conspirators Smuggled Women and Minors in from Mexico and Then Compelled Them into Prostitution in Metro Atlanta

WASHINGTON - Juan Cortes-Meza, 33, of Mexico; Raul Cortes-Meza, 22, of Mexico; Edison Wagner Rosa Tort, 71, of Cartersville, Ga.; and Otto Jaime Larios Perez, 27, of Guatemala were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story for participating in sex trafficking in an organization targeting young Mexican women.

Juan Cortes-Meza was sentenced today to 16 years, eight months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $57,600. Raul Cortes-Meza was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $7,000. Edison Wagner Rosa Tort was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $57,000. Otto Jaime Larios Perez was sentenced yesterday to two years, six months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $3,600.

"These four defendants committed heinous crimes against vulnerable women and girls who dreamed of better lives in the United States," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Civil Rights Division. "Driven by greed, these defendants robbed their victims of basic human rights and dignities. The Department of Justice is committed to holding traffickers accountable and restoring the lives of their victims."

U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, "The U.S. Attorney's Office is committed to dismantling sex-trafficking organizations that operate in the Northern District of Georgia. Those who enslave and sell young women for sex, or who profit from it, must be held accountable. Nothing we can do will fully restore these victims from the harm they suffered at the hands of these criminals, but we will do everything in our power to stop others from being abused."

"These traffickers exhibited a callous disregard for the lives of the victims whom they exploited for money," said Kenneth Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Atlanta. "While we cannot undo the terrible experiences that they endured, we hope that today's sentencing gives them some sense of closure."

According to U.S. Attorney Yates and the information presented in court, From Spring 2006 through June 2008, these defendants and others charged in the conspiracy recruited and enticed approximately 10 victims to come to the Atlanta area from Mexico and then forced them into prostitution for the financial benefit of the members of the alleged conspiracy. Often the conspirators, including Juan Cortes-Meza, would lure the women to the U.S. by promising better lives, legitimate employment, or romantic relationships with the defendants. Drivers, such as Larios Perez, Raul Cortes-Meza, and Rosa Tort, collected the victims from the homes where they lived with the defendants in Norcross and drove them to apartments and homes where paying clients waited for commercial sex.

Specifically, Juan Cortes-Meza smuggled the 17-year-old female victim into the United States by falsely promising that he would help her find employment in a restaurant or as a housekeeper. The victim was thereafter compelled to engage in commercial sex acts with numerous men every night, and to give Juan Cortes-Meza the money she collected. Juan Cortes-Meza controlled the victim’s daily life and was physically violent with her.

Raul Cortes-Meza harbored and transported a victim and benefitted financially from causing her to engage in commercial sex acts. While another co-conspirator brought the victim into the United States, Raul Cortes-Meza drove her to apartments to have sex with paying clients. He then collected money and kept some for himself, giving the rest to other co-conspirators.

Rosa Tort took a victim from the Cortes-Meza trafficking ring and kept her in Cartersville, Ga., where he forced her to perform commercial sex acts against her will.

Larios Perez pleaded guilty to making false statements to law enforcement when he was intercepted with a victim in his car. When caught with a victim, Larios Perez lied to investigators about his relationship to the victim, claiming she was a family member, and falsely stated that he had never driven anyone to any location for prostitution. In fact, Larios Perez had driven at least six of the young Mexican women to locations to engage in prostitution.

In order to bring defendants to justice, victims of crime may be eligible for immigration status in the United States to assist in the prosecution. Six of the victims addressed the court about what they suffered at the hands of this sex trafficking ring, telling of physical threats, beatings, and intimidation which caused them to work as prostitutes against their will.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Coppedge and Trial Attorney Karima Maloney of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/Apri ... t-493.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, December 18, 2008
WWW.USDOJ.GOV
CRT
(202) 514-2007
TDD (202) 514-1888
Member of Human Trafficking Ring Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking Charges

WASHINGTON - Francisco Cortes-Meza, 25, a/k/a "Paco", of Mexico, pleaded guilty today in federal district court to sex trafficking offenses involving a young Mexican woman.

According to the information presented in court, during winter 2007, Francisco Cortes-Meza met a 22-year-old Mexican national in Mexico, pursued her romantically, promised her a better life in the U.S., and persuaded her to travel to Atlanta, Ga. All the while his intent was to place her in prostitution in a human trafficking ring in the Atlanta area. Francisco Cortes-Meza smuggled the victim into the United States and transported her to a house in Norcross, Ga. A few days after her arrival, he required her to begin engaging in prostitution. The victim was then required to provide him with the money that she was paid for commercial sex. He controlled the victim’s daily life and did not allow her to go places without his permission. When the victim stated that she did not wish to engage in prostitution, he became angry, often physically assaulting her.

"Human trafficking occurs in hidden corners across the country," said Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "The horrors faced by this young victim and thousands of others like her are heartbreaking. The Department is committed to enforcing laws that put traffickers behind bars."

"Human trafficking violates basic human rights and will not be tolerated," said David E. Nahmias, U.S. Attorney for the northern district of Georgia. "Compelling women by force, fraud or coercion, or girls under the age of 18, to engage in commercial sex acts is a serious violation of federal law. The victimization of the young women in this case was unfortunately made easier by their illegal status, unfamiliarity with U.S. laws, and fear of law enforcement instilled in them by the traffickers. Federal laws protect all victims of such heinous crimes, whether or not they are United States citizens. No victim should fear coming forward to report illegal activity and criminal abuse."

Francisco Cortes-Meza pleaded guilty to sex trafficking by force and coercion. This offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years in federal prison. A sentencing is yet to be scheduled.

The prosecution of human trafficking offenses is a top priority of the Justice Department. In the last seven fiscal years, the Civil Rights Division, in conjunction with the U.S. Attorneys' Offices, has increased by nearly seven-fold the number of human trafficking cases filed in court as compared to the previous seven fiscal years. In fiscal year 2007, the Department obtained a record number of convictions in human trafficking prosecutions.

This case is being investigated by Special Agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This case is being prosecuted by Corey Steinberg, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia and Karima Maloney, Trial Attorney for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

###

08-1130

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2008/Dece ... -1130.html

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