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Queens DA Charges Four With Sex Trafficking


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On Thursday, Sept. 24, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Tyrone Miles, Khalil Fryer, and Luvasia Rodriguez have all been indicted and arraigned in Queens Supreme Court on sex trafficking, kidnapping and other charges for allegedly forcing one or more female victims to have sex with strangers for cash. A Queens County grand jury handed up two separate indictments charging a total of four individuals with running a prostitution business out of the JFK Inn Hotel in Jamaica, Queens in June 2020.

The fourth defendant, Bryant Lowery, is scheduled to be arraigned on tomorrow.

Two of the defendants, Miles and Lowery, are charged with a law specifically targeting those who exploit children through the sex industry.

“These cases are grim examples of why I formed the Human Trafficking Bureau when I became the DA,” said Katz.  “When people are forced into prostitution with threats and physical violence, it is our obligation as a city to hold the traffickers accountable. Thankfully, these young victims were able to escape to safety, but not before being held captive and having to endure the torment and cruelty of those who profited from the acts they were forced to perform.”

Tyrone “Angel” Miles, 30, of 110th Avenue, and Bryant “Dollaz” Lowery, 22, of Springfield Gardens, Queens are charged in a 24-count indictment. Miles was arraigned yesterday morning before Acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Peter Vallone, Jr. and was remanded. Justice Vallone set Miles’ return date for November 18, 2020. Lowery will be arraigned on this same indictment tomorrow. If convicted, both men face up to life in prison.

Defendant Rodriguez, 21, of 166th Place in Jamaica, Queens, is also charged in this 24-count indictment with Miles and Lowery. Rodriguez was previously arraigned on September 9, 2020. Her return date is November 18, 2020. If convicted, Rodriguez faces up to life in prison.

Defendants Lowery and Rodriguez are also charged in an 11-count indictment with co-defendant Khalil “Lil” Fryer, 21, of Far Rockaway Boulevard in Far Rockaway, Queens. Both Rodriguez and Fryer were arraigned on Sept. 23 morning before Justice Vallone, who set their return date for November 18, 2020. Lowery, will be arraigned on this indictment tomorrow. If convicted, all three defendants face up to 25 years in prison. (See Addendum for details on all defendants).

According to the 24-count indictment, defendants Miles and Lowery are both charged with the sex trafficking of a child statute. The victims in this case were 16 and 17 years old when the defendants allegedly held them against their will at the JFK Inn Hotel and threatened them with physical harm unless they prostituted themselves.

At one point, when the youngest victim refused to continue having sex with strangers, Miles allegedly told her, “I will kill you,” and ordered her to tell customers that she was of legal age to consent to sex. Both Miles and Lowery have also been charged with allegedly raping her.

The defendants allegedly contacted customers to come to the JFK Inn, where the teenagers had sex with them in exchange for money, which the defendants kept.

Continuing, the DA said, the two girls were kept separated from one another in the hotel. Receipts from the establishment, obtained during the investigation, indicate that defendants Miles and Lowery rented rooms at the JFK Inn Hotel between June 5, 2020 and June 12, 2020. Video surveillance of the area depicts Miles and a third underage female walking into the location with the teenage girls on June 5, 2020. Additional video surveillance shows Miles, Rodriguez, and Lowery walking, collectively and individually, with the 16-year old victim to and from different rooms within the JFK Inn.

The 16-year old was able to escape when defendant Miles left briefly, at which point she fled to a commercial establishment and contacted her family.

As outlined in the 11-count indictment, on June 19, 2020 defendants Fryer, Rodriguez and Lowery abducted a 19-year old female and held her at the JFK Inn Hotel. While at that location, these defendants allegedly ordered the victim to have sex with men for money. When she refused, defendant Fryer allegedly told her that he would kill her if she did not comply. The defendants then set her up with a customer, and at that time the victim told the customer what was happening.

Although the client attempted to help her escape, the defendants allegedly tracked the victim down, forced her into their vehicle and then drove her back to the hotel. On the way back, Fryer allegedly punched and kicked the woman and struck her in the head with a hard bottle, while repeatedly stating that he would kill her if she ever tried to escape again. The victim was made to have sex with multiple customers, while defendant Rodriguez collected all of the proceeds.

The victim finally managed to escape when, after being left alone with one of the customers, she ran outside and flagged down a passing police vehicle. Fryer was apprehended outside of the location that morning, while defendants Rodriguez and Lowery managed to flee the scene. The two were apprehended at a later date.

The investigations were conducted by Detective Judith Moreno of the New York City Police Department’s Vice Enforcement Division Human Trafficking Team, under the supervision of Lieutenant Amy Capogna, Captain Thomas Milano and Inspector Paul Saraceno, as well as Police Officer Charles McAleavey, under the supervision of Lieutenant Anthony Gulotta and Inspector Neteis Gilbert.

Assistant District Attorney Kiran Cheema, of the District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Bureau, is prosecuting the 24-count indictment case, and Supervising Assistant District Attorney Jason Trager, also of the Human Trafficking Bureau, is prosecuting the 11-count indictment case. Both cases are being prosecuted with the assistance of Paralegals Roxana Comanescu and Marcela Sanchez, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Jessica Melton, Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Gerard A. Brave.

ADDENDUM

TYRONE “ANGEL” MILES, 30, is charged in a 24-count indictment with kidnapping in the first and second degree, sex trafficking of a child, sex trafficking, rape in the first and third degree, compelling prostitution, promoting prostitution in the second and third degree, endangering the welfare of a child and assault in the third degree.

BRYANT “DOLLAZ” LOWERY, 22, is charged in the 24-count indictment with kidnapping in the first and second degree, sex trafficking of a child, sex trafficking, rape in the first and third degree, compelling prostitution, promoting prostitution in the second degree, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal contempt in the second degree.

Lowery is also charged in the 11-count indictment with kidnapping in the second degree, sex trafficking, assault in the second degree, unlawful imprisonment in the second degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, promoting prostitution in the second and third degree and criminal contempt in the second degree.

LUVASIA RODRIGUEZ, 21, is charged in the 24-count indictment with kidnapping in the first and second degree, sex trafficking, compelling prostitution, promoting prostitution in the second and third degree and endangering the welfare of a child.

Rodriguez is also charged in the 11-count indictment with kidnapping in the second degree, sex trafficking, assault in the second degree, unlawful imprisonment in the second degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, promoting prostitution in the second and third degree.

KHALIL “LIL” FRYER, 21, is charged in the 11-count indictment with kidnapping in the second degree, sex trafficking, assault in the second degree, unlawful imprisonment in the second degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, promoting prostitution in the second and third degree.

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