BAY SHORE, NY — Four men were indicted for sex trafficking and other related charges, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced Tuesday.
Messiah Jefferson, Jerry Tenzie, Deron Moales, and Antoniya McGowan were indicted for Sex Trafficking, and other related charges after working together to forcibly sell a woman for sex and beat and stab a man inside his apartment, the DA said.
According to the investigation, on Sept. 13, Tenzie offered clothing, food, and shelter at a Bay Shore apartment to a female victim who needed a place to stay, the DA said. When she arrived at the apartment, Jefferson, Morales, and McGowan were also staying there. After providing the victim with a shower, food, and clothing, Jefferson told the woman that she had to engage in sex with men who came to the apartment to sell drugs to the defendants, the DA said.
When she refused, Jefferson directed Morales, McGowan, and Tenzie to beat and burn her until she complied, and stopped her from leaving the apartment, the DA said. In exchange for the victim having sex with the men, the defendants were allegedly paid with drugs by the men who had sex with the victim, the DA said. She later escaped through a window while the defendants were sleeping and hid until the police arrived to help her, the DA said.
On Sept. 15, Morales allegedly confronted the tenant of the apartment and accused him of stealing from him before all four men beat the male victim, with Jefferson and McGowan stabbing him, Morales threatening him with a gun, and Tenzie beating him with a chair, the DA said.
The tenant fled from the apartment and into the street as Morales, Tenzie, and McGowan chased him, the DA said. The victim then flagged down a police officer and was transported to a hospital for treatment of his injuries, the DA said. When Morales was later arrested, police found him in possession of an illegal handgun, the DA said.
On Oct. 10, Jefferson, 30, of Central Islip, was arraigned before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis and charged with one count of Sex Trafficking, a Class B felony; one count of Sex Trafficking (by force), a Class B violent felony; one count of second-degree kidnapping, a Class B violent felony; one count of first-degree gang assault, a Class B violent felony; one count of first-degree assault, a Class B violent felony; one count of second-degree promoting prostitution, a Class C felony; one count of second-degree gang assault, a Class C violent felony, and two counts of second-degree assault, a Class D violent felony, the DA said.
Wilutis ordered Jefferson held on $500,000 cash, $1,000,000 bond or $5,000,000 partially secured bond, the DA said. He is being represented by John Halverson and is due back in court on Nov. 20, the DA said.
On Oct. 10, Morales, 21, of Central Islip, was arraigned before Wilutis and charged with one count of sex trafficking, a Class B felony; one count of sex trafficking (by force), a Class B violent felony; one count of second-degree kidnapping, a Class B violent felony; one count of first-degree gang assault, a Class B violent felony; first-degree assault, a Class B violent felony; second-degree promoting prostitution, a Class C felony; second-degree gang assault, a Class C violent felony; second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a Class C violent felony; second-degree assault, a Class D violent felony; third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a Class D felony, and criminal possession of a firearm, a Class E felony, the DA said.
Wilutis ordered Morales held on $300,000 cash, $600,000 bond or $3,000,000 partially secured bond, the DA said. He is being represented by Ira Weissman and is due back in court on Nov. 21, , the DA said.
On Oct. 18, McGowan was arraigned Justice Wilutis and charged with two counts of sex trafficking, both Class B felonies, one of which is a violent felony; second-degree kidnapping, a Class B violent felony; first-degree gang assault a Class B violent felony; first-degree assault, a Class B violent felony; second-degree promoting prostitution in the Second Degree, a Class C felony; second-degree gang assault, a Class C violent felony; and second-degree assault, a Class D violent felony, the DA said.
Wilutis ordered McGowan, 26, of Shirley, held on $150,000 cash, $400,000 bond or $1,500,000 partially secured bond, the DA said. She is being represented by Scott Zerner and is due back in court on Nov. 22, the DA said.
Tenzie has not yet been arraigned and is expected in court on Oct. 23, the DA said.
Source: https://patch.com/new-york/bayshore/4-charged-after-assaulting-sex-trafficking-woman-drugs-da
