Source: Asbury Park Press
Eight people have been indicted on accusations they operated a family-run prostitution and human trafficking ring out of Asbury Park and Trenton, Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has announced in an official statement.
Poker chips were purchased by patrons, allowing them to choose a woman for sexual activity for a specific period of time.
Laura Macolas-Aguirre, 45, and Edy Villeda-Estrada, 39, of Asbury Park were alleged by the Attorney General’s office to be employees of the criminal operation, responsible for letting customers into the houses, handling money transactions, and giving them access to the victims. They have been charged with first-degree conspiracy, racketeering, human trafficking, promoting prostitution of a child; second-degree facilitating human trafficking; third-degree promoting prostitution, endangering the welfare of a child and money laundering.
Also charged were alleged ring leader Paulino “Pablo” Macolas-Aguirre, 43, who is Laura Macolas-Aguirre’s brother; Daniel Camara-Bonito, 55, and his sons Daniel Handerson Camara-Perico, 31, and Jose G. Camara-Perico, 30; Daniela Camara-Perico, 29, who is Camara’s daughter and Macolas-Aguirre’s girlfriend; and Efran Melo-Castillo, 30, all of Trenton.
The charges stem from Operation Hudson House, an investigation by the state police’s Missing Persons and Human Trafficking Unit that identified victims being shuttled between the two prostitution houses, Platkin said. They also identified a third house on Woodland Street in Trenton that was used as the hub of the operation.
On Jan. 21, the State Police T.E.A.M.S. Unit, K-9 Unit, Crime Suppression Central Unit, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Trenton police executed a search warrant on Hudson Street house. Inside, Villeda-Estrada and Camara-Bonito were found and arrested. A 17-year-old victim also was located in a bedroom on the first floor of the house.
Each bedroom in the house had a bed, a bedside table with a bottle of rubbing alcohol, paper towels, condoms and lubricant, a trash can and a chair. During the search police also seized cash and notebook ledgers with the victim’s names, followed by numbers next to each day of the week, suspected to be the number of prostitution clients each had on a given day.
On May 11, detectives then searched various residences in Trenton and Asbury Park, including Macola-Aguirre’s primary residence on Bridge Street in Trenton. As a result, two additional female victims were located, the announcement said. Detectives also found cash and ledgers.
Following detention hearings, all defendants have been detained and are awaiting trial. Daniel Camara-Perico and Daniela Camara-Perico and are fugitives to date.
Acting Attorney General Platkin, Colonel Callahan, and Director Minato urge anyone who suspects that individuals are engaged in sex- or labor-related human trafficking to report it by calling the Division of Criminal Justice’s 24-hour NJ Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-855-END-NJ-HT.
Additionally, those who suspect inappropriate contact by persons communicating with children on the internet or possible exploitation or sexual abuse of children can contact the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Tipline at 888-648-6007.