READING, PA – In a shocking display of depravity, 13 members and associates of a violent sex trafficking gang called ‘The Sevens’ have been charged with a slew of crimes, including sex trafficking, attempted murder, and murder.
At the center of the charges is Shaquile W. Newson, a 26-year-old Reading resident known as ‘Raw,’ ‘San,’ and ‘Ace.’ Newson, along with 12 others, was charged in a 22-count Superseding Indictment with participating in a racketeering enterprise and conspiring to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion of a minor.
The charges stem from a years-long investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Reading Police Department. According to officials, the gang operated primarily out of a boarding house located on 125-127 South 4th Street in Reading, and its racketeering conspiracy allegedly began as far back as December 2017 and continued until in or about March 2019.
The Superseding Indictment details a shocking series of dehumanizing and violent actions perpetrated by the gang, including holding a victim down while her hair was cut with gardening shears and threatening to take her for a ‘trunk ride’ if she didn’t comply with their demands. Other victims were shot, assaulted with a baton, stabbed with a knife, and hit with a hammer, and one was even murdered.
U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain called the allegations ‘hard to imagine,’ and vowed to rid the district of the scourge of human trafficking. ‘The Sevens gang will no longer menace the streets of Reading,’ he said.
Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations William Walker added, ‘These horrific crimes were taking place in our own backyard. Thanks to our close partnership with the Reading Police Department and our law enforcement colleagues, we were able to track down these violent criminals and put a stop to their illicit operation.’
The indictment also details 43 overt acts in furtherance of this sex trafficking and drug trafficking conspiracy, and names 15 victims of sex trafficking and violent crime, two of whom are minors. The charges describe a level of depravity that is hard to imagine, and highlight the need for continued vigilance in the fight against human trafficking.
The defendants charged in the Superseding Indictment are:
- Shaquile W. Newson, a/k/a ‘Raw,’ a/k/a ‘San,’ a/k/a ‘Ace,’ 26
- Alexander M. Malave, a/k/a ‘Buju,’ a/k/a ‘Ace,’ 28
- Karvarise E. Person, a/k/a ‘Crazy K,’ a/k/a ‘Killa,’ a/k/a ‘K,’ 30
- Fatiema S. Bivens, 28
- Isaiah Rowe, a/k/a ‘Izzy,’ 21
- James Goode, a/k/a ‘Jamil,’ 44
- Yojang Torres-Rosario, a/k/a ‘Domi,’ 26
- Richard Poulson, a/k/a ‘ATL,’ 26
- Jessica Lopez, a/k/a ‘Mother of the Sevens,’ 39
- Ryan Nunez, 23
- Tyashia Monroe, a/k/a ‘Little Baby,’ 19
- Wendy Espada, 28
- Michael Diaz-Walker, a/k/a ‘Big Mike,’ 32
The indictment highlights the need for continued vigilance in the fight against human trafficking, and the importance of educating the public on the indicators and red flags of this heinous crime.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Sex Crimes|Organized Crime|Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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