Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell announced on Thursday, April 6, that six men, three alleged pimps, and the manager, front desk clerk, and security guard at a Bronx hotel, have been charged with a host of offenses, including enterprise corruption, sex trafficking of a child, and promoting prostitution, and two of the alleged pimps were also charged with rape.

 

Clark said the defendants, Akeem Lee, 34; Marvin Flint, 32;  Anthony Reyes, 31; Golam Rabbani, 27; Robert Olaguibel, 45; and Patrick Walker, 51, were variously charged in an 80-count indictment for enterprise corruption, sex trafficking, compelling prostitution, promoting prostitution, intimidating a victim or witness, conspiracy, endangering the welfare of a child, falsifying business records, and other related charges.

 

In the context of the announcement, Clark said, “This scheme involves brutal pimps and hotel employees who allegedly were paid to look away from the despicable acts of degradation against teenage girls and facilitate them.” She added, “The 7 Days Hotel allegedly profited from the human trafficking of girls and young women, and now employees will be held accountable. Hotels should be regulated in a manner where they cannot host criminal activity for years without bearing responsibility.”

 

Walker, Reyes, Rabbani and Lee were arraigned on April 3, before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Lawrence Busching. Lee was remanded in custody, and Reyes had bail set in the amounts of $10,000 cash/ $50,000 bond. They are due back in court on May 18. Flint was arraigned on April 4, and remanded in custody. Olaguibel was arrested in Pennsylvania and has not been arraigned yet.

According to the investigation by the NYPD Vice Human Trafficking Team and the Bronx District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Unit, the conspiracy took place from on or about August, 2019 through November 2022, among members or associates of a prostitution organization which operated inside of the 7 Days Hotel located at 2338 Bruckner Boulevard in the Unionport section of The Bronx. As reported, it is not the first time the hotel has been allegedly used as a location for sex trafficking.

 

According to the investigation, one of the girls engaged in prostitution for the co-conspirators starting when she was 14 years old, continuing until she was 17 years old. According to the investigation and related investigations, Lee allegedly hit and choked her and threatened to kill her if she went to the police, and approximately 16 girls and young women were trafficked by the co-conspirators. Out of the 16, seven were underage.

 

According to the prosecution, an undercover NYPD officer posed as a pimp. He and alleged trafficker, Flint, were given discounted room rates in exchange for cash tips to hotel employees. According to the investigation, Olaguibel, a manager; Rabbani, a front desk clerk; and Walker, a security guard, allegedly facilitated prostitution by failing to check their identification or those of the sex workers; and failing to post inside of the hotel the human trafficking victims’ hotline number, as required by New York State Law. The defendants allegedly tipped each other off if law enforcement was present at the hotel in order to evade arrest.

 

Clark also thanked trial preparation assistant, Jessica Walmsley, for her assistance, as well as NYPD Detective Denis Regimbal and Lieutenant Amy Capogna of the NYPD Human Trafficking Team.

The following is a list of the defendants and their charges:

      AKEEM LEE AKA AJ

COUNT 1 – 105.10(1)

COUNT 2 – 105.05(1)

COUNT 3 – 105.05(1)

COUNT 4 – 460.20(1)(A)

COUNT 10 – 230.34-A

COUNT 11 – 230.34-A

COUNT 12 – 230.34(5)(A)

COUNT 13 – 230.34(5)(H)

COUNT 14 – 230.33

COUNT 15 – 230.32(2)

COUNT 16 – 230.30(1)

COUNT 17 – 230.30(2)

COUNT 18 – 230.30(2)

COUNT 19 – 230.25(1)

COUNT 20 – 230.25(2)

COUNT 21 – 230.25(2)

COUNT 22 – 230.20(1)

COUNT 23 – 230.20(1)

COUNT 24 – 130.30(1)

COUNT 25 – 130.25(2)

COUNT 26 – 130.25(3)

COUNT 27 – 130.20(1)

COUNT 28 – 215.16(1)

COUNT 29 – 215.15(1)

COUNT 30 – 215.15(2)

COUNT 31 – 260.10(1)

MARVIN FLINT AKA MERK

COUNT 1 – 105.10(1)

COUNT 2 – 105.05(1)

COUNT 3 – 105.05(1)

COUNT 5 – 460.20(1)(A)

COUNT 38 – 130.25(2)

COUNT 39 – 130.20(1)

COUNT 40 – 260.10(1)

ANTHONY REYES AKA UNO

COUNT 1 – 105.10(1)

COUNT 2 – 105.05(1)

COUNT 3 – 105.05(1)

COUNT 6 – 460.20(1)(A)

COUNT 32 – 230.34-A

COUNT 33 – 230.30(2)

COUNT 34 – 230.25(1)

COUNT 35 – 230.25(2)

COUNT 36 – 230.20(1)

COUNT 37 – 260.10(1)

COUNT 1 – 105.10(1)

GOLAM RABBANI

COUNT 2 – 105.05(1)

COUNT 3 – 105.05(1)

COUNT 7 – 460.20(1)(A)

COUNT 41 – 230.34-A

COUNT 42 – 230.30(2)

COUNT 43 – 230.25(1)

COUNT 44 – 230.25(2)

COUNT 45 – 230.20(1)

COUNT 46 – 230.40

COUNT 47 – 260.10(1)

COUNT 48 – 260.20(1)

COUNT 49 – 205.60

COUNT 50 – 205.55

COUNT 51 – 115.00(1)

COUNT 52 – 175.10

COUNT 53 – 175.10

COUNT 54 – 175.10

COUNT 55 – 175.05(1)

COUNT 56 – 175.05(1)

COUNT 57 – 175.05(1)

ROBERT OLAGUIBEL

COUNT 1 – 105.10(1)

COUNT 2 – 105.05(1)

COUNT 3 – 105.05(1)

COUNT 8 – 460.20(1)(A)

COUNT 58 – 230.34-A

COUNT 59 – 230.30(2)

COUNT 60 – 230.25(1)

COUNT 61 – 230.25(2)

COUNT 62 – 230.20(1)

COUNT 63 – 230.40

COUNT 64 – 260.10(1)

COUNT 65 – 260.20(1)

COUNT 66 – 205.60

COUNT 67 – 205.55

COUNT 68 – 115.00(1)

PATRICK WALKER

COUNT 1 – 105.10(1)

COUNT 2 – 105.05(1)

COUNT 3 – 105.05(1)

COUNT 9 – 460.20(1)(A)

COUNT 69 – 230.34-A

COUNT 70 – 230.30(2)

COUNT 71 – 230.25(1)

COUNT 72 – 230.25(2)

COUNT 73 – 230.20(1)

COUNT 74 – 230.40

COUNT 75 – 260.10(1)

COUNT 76 – 260.20(1)

COUNT 77 – 205.60

COUNT 78 – 205.55

COUNT 79 – 115.00(1)

COUNT 80 – 230.04

 

COUNTS (ordered by level of offense):

P.L. 460.20(1)(a)                               Enterprise Corruption                                                                          (6 Counts)

P.L. 230.34-a                                    Sex Trafficking of a Child                                                                      (6 Counts)

P.L. 230.34(5)(a)                               Sex Trafficking                                                                                      (1 Count)

P.L. 230.34(5)(h)                               Sex Trafficking                                                                                       (1 Count)

P.L. 230.33                                        Compelling Prostitution                                                                          (1 Count)

P.L. 230.32(2)                                    Promoting Prostitution in the First Degree                                             (1 Count)

P.L. 230.30(1)                                    Promoting Prostitution in the Second Degree                                        (1 Count)

P.L. 230.30(2)                                    Promoting Prostitution in the Second Degree                                         (6 Counts)

P.L. 230.25(1)                                    Promoting Prostitution in the Third Degree                                             (5 Counts)

P.L. 230.25(2)                                    Promoting Prostitution in the Third Degree                                             (6 Counts)

P.L. 130.30(1)                                    Rape in the Second Degree                                                                    (1 Count)

P.L. 215.16(1)                                     Intimidating a Victim or Witness in the Second Degree                          (1 Count)

P.L. 105.10(1)                                     Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree                                                            (1 Count)

P.L. 130.25(2)                                    Rape in the Third Degree                                                                         (2 Counts)

P.L. 130.25(3)                                    Rape in the Third Degree                                                                         (1 Count)

P.L. 215.15(1)                                     Intimidating a Victim or Witness in the Third Degree                               (1 Count)

P.L. 215.15(2)                                     Intimidating a Victim or Witness in the Third Degree                               (1 Count)

P.L. 205.60                                         Hindering Prosecution in the Second Degree                                          (3 Counts)

P.L. 175.10                                          Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree                                     (3 Counts)

P.L. 105.05(1)                                    Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree                                                                  (2 Counts)

P.L. 230.20(1)                                    Promoting Prostitution in the Fourth Degree                                             (6 Counts)

P.L. 130.20(1)                                    Sexual Misconduct                                                                                     (2 Counts)

P.L. 260.10(1)                                    Endangering the Welfare of a Child                                                           (6 Counts)

P.L. 260.20(1)                                    Unlawfully Dealing with a Child in the First Degree                                   (3 Counts)

P.L. 205.55                                          Hindering Prosecution in the Third Degree                                              (3 Counts)

P.L. 115.00(1)                                     Criminal Facilitation in the Fourth Degree                                                 (3 Counts)

P.L. 175.05(1)                                     Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree                                 (3 Counts)

P.L. 230.04                                         Patronizing a Person for Prostitution in the Third Degree                         (1 Count)

P.L. 230.40                                         Permitting Prostitution                                                                               (3 Counts)