Bronx District Attorney (DA) Darcel D. Clark announced on July 6 that three Bronx men and a woman had been indicted on charges including sex trafficking of a child, promoting prostitution and other charges involving two female 15-year-olds and one female 18-year-old.

 

Clark said the defendants allegedly profited from the sex trafficking of vulnerable teens. “They manipulated these girls by all means: taking their money, beatings, strangling and drugs. Two of the defendants are mother and son. We are glad these victims are finally out of that horrible, degrading situation,” she said.

 

The DA said the defendants, Marvin Flint, AKA, Merk, 30, of East 178^th Street in West Farms, Zyair Harris, AKA, Zay, 24, of Glebe Avenue in Westchester Square; Curtis Laboy, AKA, Shawn, 24, of the Cross Bronx Expressway in Unionport, and Melina Laboy, AKA, Chica Peek, 41, of Williamsbridge Road of Allerton were variously charged in a 35-count indictment with sex trafficking of a child, second, third and fourth-degree promoting prostitution, sex trafficking, compelling prostitution, third-degree criminal sexual act and endangering the welfare of a child.

 

Flint was arraigned on June 29, before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Raymond Bruce. He was remanded and is due back in Court on July 27. Melina Laboy was arraigned on June 30, Harris was arraigned on July 1, and Curtis Laboy was arraigned on July 2, all before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas. The defendants were remanded in custody and were due back in court on July 8, 2021.

 

According to the investigation, in November 2020, Harris recruited a 15-year-old girl to engage in prostitution. Harris and Flint allegedly took photos of the teen and posted them online as ads. For weeks, the victim engaged in prostitution on a daily basis. The defendants allegedly profited directly from the exploitation of the victim and during December 2020, Harris assaulted her for various reasons, such as collecting the wrong amount of money.

 

Harris allegedly struck the teen in the face and body and strangled her until she became unconscious on various occasions. Due to the increasing violence and threats under Harris, Flint recruited the victim to work for him only. Flint also allegedly beat the victim on multiple occasions, including one incident in which he beat the teen with a towel rod he had ripped off the bathroom wall. Flint also plied the victim with ecstasy and cocaine in order for her to continue engaging in sexual acts with strangers in exchange for money.

 

On April 27, 2021, the NYPD conducted a rescue operation for the victim, after her mother reported her missing and photos of her were seen in online ads. The victim was recovered from Flint’s home, but on April 30, 2021, the teen ran away from home and was with Flint until May 8, 2021.

 

According to the investigation, between November 15, 2020 and May 8, 2021, Harris and Flint worked with Curtis Laboy in the sex trafficking of an 18-year-old woman and another 15-year-old girl. In December 2020, Curtis Laboy allegedly told the 18-year-old victim, who was homeless, that she could make money with him. He allegedly posted ads online of the victim, and between December 2020 and February 2021, the 18-year-old engaged in prostitution. Curtis Laboy profited from the exploitation of the victim and threatened her with violence if she did not follow his rules.

 

On February 2, 2021, Curtis Laboy allegedly recruited the 15-year-old victim, who knew the 18-year-old victim, and posted photos of the 15-year-old in online ads. She stayed at the 7 Days Hotel on Bruckner Boulevard in the Unionport section of The Bronx for two weeks, and engaged in prostitution at least one time at the behest of the defendant. Curtis Laboy’s mother, Melina Laboy, would allegedly go to the 7 Days Hotel to enforce rules, and informed her son when the victim did not follow them. She also allegedly transported the victim to other locations so she could engage in sexual acts with others in exchange for a fee, as arranged by defendants.

 

The case is being prosecuted by assistant district attorney, Johnathan Vega, of the human trafficking unit (HTU), under the supervision of Stephen Knoepfler, chief of the human trafficking unit, and under the overall supervision of Joseph Muroff, chief of the special victims division. Clark thanked HTU social worker, Rhayvan Jackson Terrell, for her assistance in the case.

 

She also thanked forensic examiner, Tina Razack, of the digital forensic lab, Selena Ley, laboratory director of the digital forensic lab, Peter Kennedy, chief of the technical investigation bureau, and intelligence analyst, Kayla Beltran of the crime strategies bureau, under the supervision of principle intelligence analyst, Theresa Ramos, and crime strategies bureau chief, Vladimir Kocheulov, for their assistance in the case.

 

In addition, Clark thanked the NYPD Bronx vice module, NYPD vice major case squad, NYPD human trafficking squad and the NYPD Manhattan north vice module for their work in the investigation. She specifically thanked Detective Mark Shackel and Lieutenant Amy Capogna, both of the NYPD human trafficking squad and Detective Denis Regimbal of the NYPD vice major case squad for their assistance in the case.

 

A person arrested and accused of a crime is innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.

 

In February, we reported that a Bronx man had been indicted for the sex-trafficking of a 28-year-old New Jersey woman, and is also under another indictment for sex-trafficking a 15-year-old Brooklyn girl. In both cases he allegedly beat and choked the victims.

 

Last December, we reported that nine alleged Bloods gang members had been indicted on various charges of sex trafficking of a child, sex trafficking and promoting prostitution, as well as additional charges for running a sex trafficking ring out of multiple Bronx motels and other hotels around the city.

 

Last year, we also reported on the work all around the city, including in the Bronx, of the nonprofit, Freedom Youth NYC, who have been helping local, at-risk youth since 2013 by raising awareness about prostitution and human trafficking prevention. Call FreedomYouth NYC on 929-367-4754 or email info@freedomyouthnyc.com.

 

Call 911 if you are in immediate danger. A specially trained unit is available to assist you. The Bronx District Attorney’s office works with victims of sex trafficking to offer help and support.

 

Alternatively, if you are being trafficked ​or suspect trafficking activity ​in your area, please call the ​National Human Trafficking ​Resource Center Hotline ​at ​1-888-373-7888 ​or Text “Be Free” to 233733.​

 

Editor’s Note: Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet. It also identifies and rescues victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.