A Rochdale man and his co-defendant from South Floral Park were indicted by a Queens grand jury on sex trafficking and other charges after allegedly forcing a woman into prostitution, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
Shamick Anderson,34, of 133rd Avenue in Rochdale, and Lashay Moseley, 27, were arraigned Aug. 24 before Queens Supreme Court Justice Ira Margulis on a nine-count indictment charging them with four counts of sex trafficking and promoting prostitution for allegedly forcing a 25-year-old victim into having sex with strangers for cash. The defendant allegedly withheld her phone, assaulted her on several occasions, kept her drugged, and threatened further harm if she tried to escape.
Anderson faces additional counts of strangulation and assault while Mosely faces two additional counts of assault, according to the DA’s office.
According to the charges, between Jan. 27 and March 22, the victim was missing from her home. During that time, her longtime friend Moseley allegedly urged the victim to stay with him and promised to help her obtain proper employment and become more independent.
Moseley allegedly worked with Anderson to post online advertisements containing the victim’s information for the purpose of prostitution. At the direction of both defendants, the victim engaged in sexual activity with strangers for cash at various locations in Queens Village and New Jersey, according to the charges.
The proceeds of the victim’s prostitution went directly to the defendants, who were in possession of her phone throughout her stay. Once the victim started to demand her property back, Anderson allegedly strangled and choked the young woman on two separate occasions, while Moseley allegedly dragged her by the hair and hit her with a metal object due to her repeated request for the phone. The victim was also allegedly drugged to keep her in compliance with the defendant’s demands to engage in further prostitution activity and was threatened with additional harm if she tried to leave.
Katz said that during a scheduled encounter, the buyer asked if the victim was okay. When she told him she needed help, the man ordered her an Uber which she took to a local police department in New Jersey, enabling her to escape. She then ultimately connected with Detective Courtney Thorpe, of the NYPD Human Trafficking Squad who launched an investigation that led to the arrests of Anderson and Moseley.
“As alleged, the defendants forced the victim into prostitution for their own profit, subjecting her to brutal conditions after she refused to willingly follow their orders,” Katz said. “No individual should ever be exploited and forced into sexual acts against their will. My Human Trafficking Bureau works tirelessly to rid Queens County of this degrading industry. The defendants are now in custody and face justice in our courts.”
Justice Margulis ordered Anderson and Moseley to return to court on Sept. 12. If convicted, the defendants face up to 25 years in prison.
If you or anyone you know may be a victim of trafficking or commercial exploitation, or if you need information, or would like to be connected to social, legal, or immigration services, the Queens DA’s office can help. For more information, email HumanTrafficking@queensda.org or call 718-286- 6548.
