Springfield Man Charged For Participating In Prostitution

A Springfield man was charged today for participating in a prostitution business throughout Northern Virginia with underage females. Rances Ulices Amaya, a/k/a “Blue” or “Murder,” 23, was indicted on charges of conspiracy and three counts of sex trafficking of a minor. Amaya, if convicted, faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison for each sex trafficking count and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy.

Amaya was arrested on Oct. 25, 2011. He "provided security at the appointments, which included carrying a machete. Amaya is accused of threatening the juveniles – who were runaways – and physically assaulted them if they did not want to have sex with the clients. He also had sex with the juveniles for free, sometimes with more than one on the same day," according to the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

“Sex trafficking is an unconscionable crime that results in a lifetime of trauma for the young victims,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Mr. Amaya is the fifth gang member charged in this ongoing investigation by the FBI and the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force, and we are committed to eradicating juvenile sex trafficking from our communities.”

Amaya is a leader of the Guanacos Lokotes Salvatrucha (GLS) clique of MS-13, according to court documents. In the summer and fall of 2009, Amaya allegedly recruited juvenile females to work as a prostitutes and drove them throughout Northern Virginia for appointments. He is also accused of providing them with alcohol and drugs.  

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with the assistance of Fairfax County Police Department and the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force. This is the fifth gang-related sex trafficking case to go to court in Northern Virginia this year.