Three men have been charged following a joint operation with the FBI Boston Division’s Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force targeting human trafficking. The Arlington Police Department was among those involved in the investigation.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, Woburn Police Chief Robert Ferullo and Newton Police Chief David MacDonald announced Friday, Oct. 20, that a week earlier authorities in Woburn conducted an undercover investigation at a hotel on Mishawum Road, Woburn. Authorities discovered two alleged sex traffickers who were trafficking a young adult female out of their motor vehicle. Authorities also searched the men and the motor vehicle and allegedly located approximately 117 grams of drugs including cocaine and marijuana, as well as $24,000 in cash.
Woburn police subsequently arrested Theodore Gamble Williams, 32, of Dorchester, and charged him with trafficking cocaine, trafficking a person for sexual servitude, possession with intent to distribute a Class C substance, conspiracy, trafficking cocaine, possession with intent to distribute a Class D substance, conspiracy to violate the drug laws and resisting arrest.
Woburn Police also arrested Jarrid Thomas, 29, of Roxbury, and charged him with trafficking cocaine, trafficking a person for sexual servitude, conspiracy and conspiracy to violate the drug laws.
Gamble-Williams and Thomas were arraigned on Oct. 16 in Woburn District Court.
Judge David Frank set bail for Gamble-Williams at $25,000 cash and ordered the defendant to stay away from, and have no contact with, the victim. Judge Frank then revoked Gamble-Williams’ bail due to a pending case. The next scheduled hearing is October 30.
Judge Frank set bail for Thomas at $25,000 cash and ordered the defendant to stay away from, and have no contact with, the victim. The next scheduled hearing in this case is October 30.
Newton police also conducted an undercover sting as part of the FBI’s human trafficking operation at a hotel on Grove Street in Newton. As part of the investigation undercover officers engaged in communications with a female through a website that advertises sexual services and text messages arranging a meeting on Oct. 13 at a Newton hotel.
On arrival at the hotel, authorities spoke to the female whose advertisement they had responded to. She described a motor vehicle that the man who had brought her to the hotel was operating. Newton police located the motor vehicle matching her description and placed James Florence, 22, of Dorchester, under arrest.
Florence was arraigned in Newton District Court on October 16, 2017. Judge Mary Hefferman set bail at $1,000 cash. The next scheduled hearing in this case is Nov. 17.
Also involved in the probe were police departments in Malden, Boston and Revere as well as the FBI Boston Division’s Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, Southern Middlesex Regional Drug Task Force and State Police.
The prosecutor assigned to these cases is Assistant District Attorney Carrie Spiros.
This news announcement was published Friday, Oct. 20, 2017.
