Eleven arrested in DPS/St. Paul sex trafficking sting operation
By Crime Watch MN, July 30, 2023
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) said in a media release on Saturday that an undercover sex trafficking operation netted eleven arrests and the recovery of four female victims from trafficking situations.
The operation took place Thursday and Friday last week in cooperation with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA)-led Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force and the St. Paul Police Department.
During the operation, suspects chatted online with undercover agents and investigators who posed as minors or as sex buyers. Investigators arrested the suspects as they arrived at an undisclosed arranged meeting place for an encounter, the press release said.
The DPS provided a list of arrested party names along with the city listed on their drivers’ licenses and the probable cause statute under which they were booked, as follows (mugshots were not immediately available for all parties).
One person was booked on probable cause felony promotion of prostitution: Leonard David Caston, Jr., 30, of Mondovi, Wisc. (below).
Ten people were booked on probable cause felony solicitation of a minor under 18 years of age for prostitution:
Malvin Chirongoma, 25, Inver Grove Heights
Yonis Abdiweli Hashi, 22, Eden Prairie
Rodrigue Lauture, 42, Minneapolis
Geber Danian Lopez Mejia, 34, Blaine
Jose Jacinto Guaman Quizhpi, 29, Minneapolis
Brandon Emmanuel Rivera Ruiz, 22, Richfield
Abdul Jameer Shaik, 33, Chanhassen
Thomas Charles Stephenson, 23, Saint Michael
Robert Jeremy Yang, 41, Saint Paul
Toula-Joe Yang 35, Saint Paul
Most of the arrested parties appear to have been released from custody as of this writing, and DPS said formal charges are expected “in the coming days.”
DPS said many additional agencies lent resources to this enforcement effort including the East Metro Sex Trafficking Task Force (EMSTTF), Tribes United Against Sex Trafficking (TRUST) and the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office. Victim advocate organization Breaking Free also provided services during victim recoveries.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of being trafficked, call 911. To report a suspected trafficking situation, call the BCA at 877–996–6222 or email bca.tips@state.mn.us.
The Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force (MNHTITF) provides statewide law enforcement response for the Human Trafficking National Hotline. Victims can get help by calling the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888–373–7888 or send the text HELP to 233733.
Crime Watch will continue to follow charging developments against the arrested parties. Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates and other information.
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