St. Louis, MO – A notorious human trafficking ring has been brought to its knees, thanks to a $1 million U.S. Department of Justice grant aimed at combating the crime in the Eastern District of Missouri.
The Saint Louis County Police Department and St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department will share the proceeds of the grant with three local social service providers to serve victims and enhance the prosecution of human trafficking crimes in the Eastern District of Missouri.
The two law enforcement agencies are members of the U.S Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking Task Force in the Eastern District of Missouri, which also includes local civilian social service partners known as the RESTeam (Rescue Service Team).
The Saint Louis-based International Institute, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, and the YWCA Sexual Assault Center are the three RESTeam members who joined forces with the Saint Louis County Police Department and St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department to apply for this competitive award, which was sponsored by the DOJ Office of Victims of Crime and the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
The funds will be distributed over two years. The Enhanced Collaborative Model to Combat Human Trafficking grant, established in 2010, was awarded this year to only six applicant groups across the United States, marking the first time that recipients from the Eastern District of Missouri have been chosen to receive the grant.
“With these funds, we will be able to serve up to 150 victims of human trafficking, whether they are victims of sex or labor trafficking and whether they are U.S. citizens or foreign-born,” said Suzanne LeLaurin, Senior Vice-President for Individuals and Families, International Institute of St. Louis.
“The St. Louis County Police Department along with the St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department have been battling the issues of human trafficking in the St. Louis County/St. Charles County area for several years and have been successful in rescuing adult and child victims of trafficking,” said Sergeant Adam Kavanaugh, Deputy Commander Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Lieutenant Chris Mateja of the St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department said, “The St. Louis County Police Department and St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department will work closely with our federal partners to insure that traffickers do not find a safe haven in the Eastern District of Missouri.”
Mandatory Facts:
1. Defendant/respondent: None specified.
2. Exact criminal charges: Human trafficking.
3. City and state: St. Louis, MO.
4. EXACT DATE with month/day/year: Not specified.
5. Sentence or outcome: Not applicable.
6. Dollar amounts where applicable: $1 million.
Related Federal Cases
- Calvin Anthony Miller, Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking, Missouri 2016 · Kansas
- Kenyata D. Miles, Child Sex Trafficking, Missouri 2024 · Illinois
- Andrew Danny Freeman, Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Minor, Missouri 2016 · Kansas
- Bernardino de Jesus Ramirez-Ramirez, Human Trafficking, South Carolina 2022 · Kansas
- Kash Patel, Human Trafficking, Kansas 2026 · Kansas
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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