RivCo Man Charged In Takedown Of Sex Trafficking Ring That Branded, Beat Women

RIVERSIDE, CA — A 22-year-old Riverside County man is one of 11 people accused of being part of a sex trafficking ring that branded women and operated along a notorious Los Angeles prostitution corridor, prosecutors said.

Mathew Brooks, otherwise known in his street gang as "Vermont Star," was charged along with six gang members and five associates with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

The arrest operation, which occurred on Wednesday, was characterized as the first major takedown of the infamous sex trafficking ring on the Figueroa Corridor, according to the United States Department of Justice.

“Human trafficking is among the most heinous crimes perpetuated throughout the world,” said Eddy Wang of Homeland Security Investigations. “No human should be for sale – not here in Los Angeles or anywhere in our society.”

On Wednesday, federal and local officials apprehended six members and associates of the South Los Angeles-based Hoover Criminal Gang.

The defendants are facing a 31-count indictment that charges them with racketeering conspiracy, including sex trafficking of children and adults through force, fraud, or coercion, including runaways and children from the foster care system, the department said.

“There are no meaningful consequences for their conduct under state law, so the federal government – aided by its local law enforcement partners – will step in to make sure these criminals face lengthy prison sentences," said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli, who previously served Riverside County as the Assemblyman for the 63rd District.

"Today’s operation is the first step in returning the Figueroa Corridor – long known as prostitution haven – back to its residents who have suffered for too long while criminals were allowed to run amok," he said.

Here are the Southern California residents who were charged:

• Amaya Armstead, 25, a.k.a. “Lady Duck,” of South Los Angeles, the case’s lead defendant and the de facto leader of the 112 set of the Hoover Criminal Gang and who is accused of sex trafficking a 14-year-old girl;
• Kenyondre Young, 22, a.k.a. “Yunkg Poke,” of South Los Angeles;
• Naziz Harris, 19, a.k.a. “N4,” of South Los Angeles;
• Avery Amoako, 27, a.k.a. “Handz,” of Long Beach;
• Jared Evans, 29, a.k.a. “Jmoney,” of the Mid-City area of Los Angeles;
• Mathew Brooks, 22, a.k.a. “Vermont Star,” of Riverside;
• Derail Robinson, 22, a.k.a. “Popkorn,” of South Los Angeles;
• Jalon Phillips, 22, a.k.a. “Chop Em,” of South Los Angeles;
• Bryan Isrel, 31, a.k.a. “4Loc,” of South Los Angeles;
• Tejohn Gray, 25, a.k.a. “Tiny3,” of South Los Angeles; and
• Tommy Crockham, 30, a.k.a. “Tommy Gunz,” of South Los Angeles.

Prosecutors said the gang has long recruited victims through social media and branded them with tattoos.

“These violent gang members profited from horrific crimes and used online apps to move their money and further their criminal enterprise,” Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of the IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office said in a statement Wednesday. “Special Agents at IRS-CI are experts in tracing illegal funds and linking criminals to their illegal acts."

Authorities said many of the victims were vulnerable, often underage, people struggling financially or emotionally. Some were recruited through social media with false promises of a luxurious lifestyle, while others were beaten or threatened into compliance, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Once under the traffickers’ control, victims were forced to work as prostitutes along Los Angeles’ notorious Figueroa Corridor, and many were branded with tattoos bearing their pimps’ nicknames.

The crimes outlined in the indictment occurred between February 2021 and August 2025. During that period, federal prosecutors say the gang maintained significant control over sex trafficking and prostitution in the Figueroa Corridor.

Gang members acted as pimps, pooling money to rent multiple motels where victims were forced to engage in sex dates, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The victims were required to hand over all of their earnings, and those who resisted faced punishment. Authorities said these “disciplinary actions” included physical beatings, verbal abuse, public humiliation, and the withholding of drugs, food or affection.

Some members of the gang later produced rap music and videos boasting about their activities, prosecutors said. In certain cases, they allegedly posted videos and photos of assaults on their victims as a way to intimidate others and maintain control.

If convicted, some defendants face a minimum of 15 years in federal prison, while others could be sentenced to life, authorities said.

“The exploitation of vulnerable women and children through sex trafficking is one of the most heinous crimes our society faces,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. “The victims in this case – many of them minors, runaways, or from the foster care system – were preyed upon by individuals who sought to profit from their pain. The Los Angeles Police Department remains steadfast in its commitment to working with our federal partners to dismantle these criminal networks, bring their perpetrators to justice, and ensure survivors receive the protection and support they deserve.”