NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A married Ohio couple were indicted on Wednesday in Manhattan for allegedly violently trafficking women and forcing them to engage in prostitution across the country, including New York, and even selling sexually explicit content on OnlyFans.
Jonathon Ruiz, 29, and Charline Santiago, 27, coerced the women in their mid-20s by beating them, brandishing a firearm, withholding their personal identification documents, forcing them to take cocaine and more, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
The couple allegedly disguised their financial proceeds by creating an LLC based in Connecticut and issuing fraudulent pay stubs and maintaining extensive transaction records between themselves and prostitution clients.
Ruiz and Santiago are each charged with conspiracy, sex trafficking, and promoting prostitution, while Ruiz is charged with labor trafficking for forcing one woman to take nude photos, create sex videos and speak with clients on OnlyFans.com — creating an account without the women's knowledge or consent.
According to court documents and statements, Ruiz and Santiago conspired to violently traffic the women between February 2020 and February 2021. The couple, who have children, worked together to profit from forced commercial sexual acts.
Ruiz allegedly posted online advertisements for the women and drove them to work at hotels and other locations across New York City, as well as in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Prosecutors said Santiago often waited outside of hotels, accepting CashApp payments and cash. At one point, Ruiz moved multiple women to a house in Connecticut.
Ruiz allegedly beat the women if they did not want to work, if they stashed money, attempted to flee, or fell asleep when he wanted them to work. The beatings frequently resulted in black eyes, bruising to multiple parts of their body and lacerations with long-lasting scars, according to court documents.
He also showed his gun to the women on at least one occasion.
While withholding their identification information, Ruiz's emails and bank records indicate that he used these IDs to apply for and collect thousands of dollars in state and federal benefits which were intended for the women. Prosecutors said Ruiz would even starve or beat the women if they didn’t earn a specific amount each day.
"These horrific allegations detail an abhorrent sex trafficking scheme that preyed on vulnerable people so the ringleaders could turn a profit," said District Attorney Bragg.
He added, "The Internet gives traffickers new ways to exploit people through economic, emotional, physical and psychological coercion. We will continue to hold accountable those who engaged in this type of criminal activity, while also continuing our work to ensure that survivors have the services and support they need to recover and move beyond the trauma they have faced."
Related
Related
