Updated: 9/15/2012 8:24 AM
By Mike Gellatly
aikenstandard.com

A federal indictment has come to light charging five individuals with trafficking illegal aliens to the Aiken County area to work as prostitutes.

Maria Garcia-Moreno, Donaciano Tecpa-Tecpa, Ruben Cabanas-Torres, Maria De Jesus Roque-Llanas and Esteban Acosta-Munoz are charged with being part of a criminal conspiracy to identify those living illegally and then move them across state lines "with intent that such individuals engage in prostitution."

No further identifying information on the suspects has been released, such as place of residence or date of birth.

The charging documents allege a scheme has been in operation since at least January 2010 through the end of July 2012, whereby women from Atlanta and other unnamed areas of Georgia would be recruited and then brought to South Carolina.

The conspiracy charge highlights a specific occurrence on July 23, 2012. On that day, Garcia-Moreno, Tecpa-Tecpa and Roque-Llanas travelled from the Atlanta area to Ridge Spring "for the purpose of engaging in prostitution."

On that day, the three were arrested and jailed in Aiken County on warrants for prostitution.

The indictment has three charges: conspiracy, transportation for illegal sexual activity and the harboring and transportation of aliens. All five are charged for counts one and two; however, Roque-Llanas is not named in the third.

The conspiracy is broken into parts in the indictment, showing the alleged activities of the ring.

Documents state the illegal immigrant women were targeted in Georgia, arrangements were made via telephone, then the women were driven to South Carolina where money and "other things of value" were exchanged for sex acts.

The case is scheduled for jury selection on Oct. 3, but the case is in the early stages and unlikely to be tried soon, according to individuals familiar with the case.

Currently, attorneys for the defendants are looking to begin the discovery, or fact finding, phase of the case.

U.S. District Judge Margaret B. Seymour is presiding over the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth Drake said her office does not comment on pending cases.

Photographs of all of the defendants, except Tecpa-Tecpa, were unavailable at press time.

Five charged with conspiracy to traffic illegals to work as prostitutes | Aiken Standard