An alleged pimp believed to have ties with Corinna Slusser, the missing Pennsylvania woman who was last seen at a Rego Park motel in September 2017, has been locked up on federal sex trafficking charges.
The FBI arrested Ishi Woney, 23, in New Jersey on Oct. 31 and he is being charge in Manhattan federal court on various sex trafficking and other charges involving the exploitation of women, according to the court.
“As alleged, Ishi Woney engaged in a vile form of exploitation, using force and other coercion to compel young women to engage in paid sex for his enrichment,”U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said. “We will continue to work with the FBI and NYPD to protect prospective victims of human trafficking and arrest and prosecute their predators.”
Woney is believed to have known Corinna Slusser, 19, whose last known location was the Haven Motel located at 68-05 Woodhaven Blvd. in Rego Park, not long after she relocated to New York City from Pennsylvania.
According to police, Slusser was the victim of an assault in the Bronx’s 48th Precinct about a month prior to her Sept. 20, 2017 disappearance, and cops feared she may be trapped in a prostitution ring long before Woney’s arrest.
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William Sweeney said that Slusser has not been seen since her disappearance at the Haven Motel.
“As alleged, Woney compelled his victim to engage in prostitution through force and coercion, and he used both this victim and Corinna Slusser, who has been missing since September 2017, in online advertisements promoting prostitution,” Sweeney said. “Human trafficking is a top priority for the FBI, and, as today’s charges demonstrate, we will continue to aggressively pursue justice for the victims of these heinous crimes.”
According to the courts, Woney had allegedly traveled through different states advertising Slusser and one other woman for prostitution. Woney is accused of using force, coercion and fraud as a means of pimping out young women.
“Today’s charges further affirm the NYPD’s unwavering commitment to protecting the victims of sex trafficking in and around the five boroughs of New York City,” NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill said on Oct. 31. “This crime is among the most heinous in society, and it is our job – and the job of all of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners – to ensure that anyone who would seek to profit through the abuse and exploitation of another human being be brought to justice swiftly and successfully.”
Sex trafficking by means of force, threats, fraud, and coercion is a charge that carries a maximum life sentence. Woney is also accused of violating the Mann Act and use of an interstate facility to carry out prostitution, which together carry sentences of 10 and five years respectively.
Slusser has blonde hair and blue eyes, stands about 5 foot 6 and weighs about 140 pounds. She has a large tattoo of a black flower in the middle of her chest, according to police.
The FBI urged anyone with information about her whereabouts to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or reach out online at tips.fbi.gov.
