NEW JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — After a year-long investigation, law enforcement has taken down a human trafficking and drug distribution ring in Central and South Jersey.
The investigation started in January 2025. Officials said the operation, run by 48-year-old Shalaby Hicks and 49-year-old Nathaniel Clay, spanned multiple counties, including Middlesex, Ocean, Camden, and Burlington. Hicks worked out of a hotel in Pennsauken; Clay, in Maple Shade.
Officials said Clay and Hicks employed women who would engage in commercial sex acts on their behalf and give them all the money they earned. In exchange, Hicks and Clay allegedly paid for their lodging, food, other necessities, transportation, and controlled dangerous substances (CDS). They said Hicks and Clay also allegedly distributed CDS.
"In many cases, Hicks and Clay forced the victims to post advertisements for themselves to sell their bodies as if they were selling a car,” said New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport.
It's alleged the victims were also expected to sell drugs to their so-called clients.
On May 7, officials executed a search warrant at a hotel associated with Hicks. They found 7.79 ounces of suspected crack cocaine, 5 ounces of fentanyl, 3.77 ounces of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and $5,000 in cash. They also executed search warrants at three residences and two more hotels, which helped them locate 15 victims, ranging in age from 29 to 52.
Thirteen people have been charged in connection with the crime.
Hicks and Clay each face a slew of charges, including racketeering, human trafficking, conspiracy and distribution and possession of a controlled dangerous substance.
To report human trafficking in New Jersey, call the 24-hour hotline at 855-363-6548. The national trafficking hotline is 1-888-373-7888.
