Nine indicted for trafficking victims for sex out of Massachusetts homes

BOSTON – Nine individuals have been indicted with trafficking victims for sex at three residential locations in Chelsea, East Boston and Lynn that served as alleged fronts for human trafficking, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

The defendants were indicted on Thursday by a Statewide Grand Jury on the following charges:

Cristina Lasso, age 47, of Lynn

Trafficking for Sexual Servitude (4 counts)

Own/Keeping House of Prostitution (4 counts)

Keeping House of Ill Fame (4 counts)

Conspiracy to Commit Trafficking (2 counts)

Money Laundering

Jose DeBlas, age 33, of Lynn

Trafficking for Sexual Servitude (4 counts)

Own/Keeping House of Prostitution (4 counts)

Keeping House of Ill Fame (4 counts)

Conspiracy to Commit Trafficking (2 counts)

Money Laundering

Jorge Lasso, age 54, of Chelsea

Trafficking for Sexual Servitude

Own/Keeping House of Prostitution

Keeping House of Ill Fame

Conspiracy to Commit Trafficking

Money Laundering

Marlon Nagano, age 37, of East Boston

Trafficking for Sexual Servitude (3 counts)

Own/Keeping House of Prostitution (3 counts)

Keeping House of Ill Fame (3 counts)

Conspiracy to Commit Trafficking

Money Laundering

Francisco Sanan Bay, age 30, of Chelsea

Trafficking for Sexual Servitude (2 counts)

Own/Keeping House of Prostitution (2 counts)

Keeping House of Ill Fame (2 counts)

Conspiracy to Commit Trafficking

Money Laundering

Edmundo Rivera Gomez, age 50, of Lynn

Trafficking for Sexual Servitude (2 counts)

Own/Keeping House of Prostitution (2 counts)

Keeping House of Ill Fame (2 counts)

Conspiracy to Commit Trafficking (2 counts)

Donoban Yesid Arismendy Ospina, age 25, of Lynn

Trafficking for Sexual Servitude (3 counts)

Own/Keeping House of Prostitution (3 counts)

Keeping House of Ill Fame (3 counts)

Conspiracy to Commit Trafficking (2 counts)

Johana Haneo Torres, age 35 of Lynn

Trafficking for Sexual Servitude (3 counts)

Own/Keeping House of Prostitution (3 counts)

Keeping House of Ill Fame (3 counts)

Conspiracy to Commit Trafficking (2 counts)

Luis Londono, age 44, of Marlboro

Trafficking of Persons for Sexual Servitude

Own/Keeping House of Prostitution

Keeping House of Ill Fame

Conspiracy to Commit Trafficking

These defendants will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on Oct. 16. Cristina Lasso, DeBlas, Gomez, Torres and Ospina will also be arraigned in Essex Superior Court at a later date. The defendants were previously arrested and arraigned in district court in August by Massachusetts State Police.

During the investigation, authorities developed evidence indicating that these defendants ran an organized criminal enterprise in various local residences where they offered customers the opportunity to pay for sexual contact with the victims.

The defendants allegedly recruited victims, advertised sexual services, set up locations and appointments for sexual encounters, transported the victims, escorted customers into the locations and facilitated the exchange of money. The AG’s Office alleges that the victims rarely, if ever, left the locations once arriving and, if so, were always accompanied by one of the defendants.

These charges are the result of a joint local, state and federal investigation, led by Massachusetts State Police High Risk Victims Unit and State Police assigned to the AG’s Office, with assistance from the State Police Troop A Troop Community Action Team, Crime Scene Services, Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, Gang Unit, and Middlesex, Essex and Suffolk State Police Detective Units; the Lynn, Chelsea, Marlborough, Boston, Cambridge, and Lexington Police Departments; and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).