FLINT TWP. (WWJ) - Two alleged human traffickers are off the streets following a police sting in the Flint area.
Task force officers raided the Quality Inn hotel in Flint Township, where authorities say the two men, who have a history of violent crime, were found keeping women captive while selling their sexual services online.
At a news conference Tuesday, Genesse County Sheriff Robert Pickell spoke about the importance of the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team, known as "GHOST."
"The sheriff's office, the police departments, you know, give traffic tickets, they arrest drunk drivers, they ticket or click it, and those are all worthwhile things," he said. "But a police agency should be proactive and provide protective umbrellas for people, for our citizenry."
Pickell explained how this operation went down.
"The GHOST member, acting as an undercover agent, he goes to the local hotel, he knocks on the door, he goes in and he's greeted by the first victim who's dressed in a party outfit," Pickell said. "And he says, you know, I'd like to wash my hands first, or wash up first. And just before he opens up the door to the bathroom the victim says there's a woman in there, my friend's in there and she's going to join us, and it'll cost you another $100, and just lay the money on the table."
Just as he put the money down, the GHOST team -- which had been listening in -- came through the door.
In this case, like many others, the sheriff said victims are hooked on drugs given to them by their captors, forced to have sex with men and then hand over the money they make.
Neither of the two victims will face charges, Pickell said. One has been released while the other is receiving drug treatment at a rehab center.
"Who gets picked on? The vulnerable, alright? It's the vulnerable," Pickell said. "In this case you've got two victims that are vulnerable, not educated, they were abused, they were threatened. Even in jail they're telling the deputies the victims, the witnesses, are going to be killed."
"These sex traffickers, they get to a lot of vulnerable kids: high school, young college kids. We need to do more scrutiny; we need more people working in this area," he added. "...It's a violent crime."
The defendants, 33-year-old Deandre Harris of Lansing and 24-year-old Jamon Williams of Flint, have been arraigned on multiple charges including human trafficking/commercial sexual activity, a 15-year felony, and using a computer to commit a crime.
Both remained behind bars as of Tuesday morning.
