Man Convicted In Major Human Trafficking Ring: Prince George's County State's Attorney

BALTIMORE, MD — A Prince George's County man has been convicted on human trafficking and prostitution charges, Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh and Prince George's County State's Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks announced Thursday.

Joshua Isaiah Jones, 27, of Greenbelt is accused of recruiting females—including a juvenile from North Carolina—to participate in his "multi-jurisdictional human trafficking criminal enterprise," a release from the Attorney General office said.

Jones allegedly worked with two other co-defendants: Rashid Marwan Mosby, 43, of Windsor Mill and Terra Marie Perry, 37, of Baltimore City. From 2013 to 2015, the three suspects promoted their human trafficking enterprise under the guise of a modeling and escort agency called "Pink Pleasure Entertainment."

"These individuals brutalized young women for profit," Frosh said in a statement. "Trafficking of women for prostitution is a problem worldwide and in our own back yards. Working with law enforcement in multiple agencies, we were able to lock these individuals up and prevent them from preying on more young women."

Once victims were trafficked into Maryland, they were "manipulated and threatened into prostitution," the release said.

Prosecutors said the suspects used the advertising website Backpage.com to post over 100 ads to solicit customers for sexual services, arranged by the co-defendants and performed by the victims. They allegedly rented dozens of hotel rooms throughout Maryland to harbor the victims for the purposes of sexual encounters.

"The victims were trafficked to and from the hotels using coercion, deception, intimidation and physical violence," the release said.

Jones sentencing is scheduled for November 20, 2017. Mosby and Perry, who both pleaded guilty, will be sentenced November 8, 2017.

Like us on Facebook for more Prince George's County crime news:

Patch File Photo