Login | May 27, 2025
Task Force investigation leads to multiple arrests
KEITH ARNOLD
Special to the Legal News
Published: June 17, 2022
Agents from the U.S. Marshals Service recently arrested two men and a woman, all of Columbus, after a Franklin County grand jury indicted the three suspects on human trafficking-related charges May 24, the state attorney general’s office announced.
Attorney General Dave Yost credited the Human Trafficking Task Force’s investigation of the activities of Ka-Auija’e “Unique” Washington, 20; Levrous “Vell” Alfred, 28; and Patrice Bigord, 21, that resulted in the arrests.
“Human traffickers control their victims through fear, drugs and violence––chains that are broken when law enforcement makes a big arrest,” Yost said in prepared remarks. “Our task forces are working hard to get traffickers off the streets and into jail.”
According to a news release, Washington was charged with nine felony counts, including trafficking in persons, compelling prostitution, promoting prostitution, commercial sexual exploitation of a minor and pandering sexually-oriented material involving a minor.
Alfred was indicted on three felony counts of trafficking in persons, promoting prostitution and compelling prostitution, while Bigord was indicted on a single felony count of compelling prostitution.
The Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force received tips from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, Crime Stoppers and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, the release detailed. During the course of the investigation, multiple juvenile victims were identified.
Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation or knowledge of additional victims of human trafficking is encouraged to contact the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations at (855) 224-6336 or the national hotline at (888) 373-7888 and request to be connected with a member of the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force.
The task force, formed under the attorney general’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, includes resources from Columbus, Powell and The Ohio State University police departments, Franklin County and Delaware County sheriffs’ offices, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Adult Parole Authority, Salvation Army, Southeast Healthcare and prosecutors’ offices in Franklin and Delaware counties.
Copyright © 2022 The Daily Reporter - All Rights Reserved