AG
DeWine, County Prosecutor
Human
Trafficking Indictment announced
(DELAWARE,
Ohio) - Ohio Attorney General Mike
DeWine and Delaware County Prosecutor Carol O'Brien announced today the
arrest
and multi-count indictment of a man accused of coercing several women
to
prostitute themselves in both Delaware and Franklin counties.
Members
of a Delaware County grand jury
indicted David Nelms, of Columbus, on 17 charges, including:
Engaging
in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity with
a Human Trafficking Specification
Trafficking
in Persons
Trafficking
in Heroin
Possession
of Heroin
Compelling
Prostitution with a Human
Trafficking Specification, 5 counts
Promoting
Prostitution with a Human Trafficking
Specification, 8 counts
Officers
with Attorney General DeWine's Central
Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force took Nelms into custody late Monday
afternoon
after several hours of surveillance led to a traffic stop at the
intersection
of State Route 161 and Interstate 71.
Investigators
with the task force began
investigating Nelms in 2011 after receiving a tip.
Authorities believe the suspect may have
trafficked up to a dozen women over a period of several years.
"Many
people think human trafficking only
involves transporting people from exotic, foreign locations," said
Attorney General DeWine.
According
to task force members, Nelms allegedly
advertised the women in online escort websites, offering sexual
activity for
cash. Authorities
said Nelms coerced the
victims into the activity by taking advantage of their drug addictions
and
withholding their drugs until they complied with his demands. Investigators said the
human trafficking
activity took place at multiple upscale hotels in the greater Columbus
area.
"This
indictment reveals that human
trafficking is not always a big city crime - it also happens in
Delaware
County," said Delaware County Prosecutor Carol O'Brien.
"Without the specialized work of the
task force, the challenge of tracking down and prosecuting offenders
like David
Nelms would be difficult. It is because of their effort that Nelms is
in
custody and facing criminal prosecution."
Authorities
also believe there could be
additional victims who have yet to be identified.
Anyone with information is urged to call
the
Columbus Police Department at 614-645-4545 or the Bureau of Criminal
Investigation (BCI) at 855-BCI-OHIO (855-224-6446).
The
Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force
is part of Attorney General DeWine's Ohio Organized Crime
Investigations
Commission which is primarily made up of officers from the Columbus
Police
Department, along with officers from BCI, the Powell Police Department,
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI/ICE), the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, and the Delaware County Prosecutor's Office.
This
is the second set of
indictments by DeWine's newly formed task force and is an example of
the results
that can be achieved through inter-agency collaboration
|