New York Pimp Pleads Guilty to Running Child Prostitution Ring
Jim Kouri, CPP
September 06, 2006
A pimp from New York City who recruited and prostituted minor girls in several US cities pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday.
Demetrius Lemus, 37, of New York City, entered a plea of guilty today before US District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to conspiracy to transport minors to engage in prostitution.
According to the plea agreement, Lemus was part of a prostitution ring operating from 1999 through 2005 in various cities, including Atlantic City, N.J.; New York City (including Manhattan and Hunts Point in the Bronx); Las Vegas; Boston; and Miami.
Other members of the conspiracy, including Melissa Ramlakhan, Anna Argyroudis, Emily Collins-Koslosky, Jacqueline Collins-Koslosky and Kemyra Jemerson, allegedly recruited and transported young girls to and from various cities in order to have them work as prostitutes for pimp Matthew D. Thompkins.
Members of the conspiracy would also hide the proceeds of the illegal prostitution enterprise by converting the proceeds into U.S. postal and Western Union money orders in amounts under the legal reporting requirement of $3,000. To date, over $800,000 in U.S. postal and Western Union money orders have been identified as having been purchased and used by members of the conspiracy.
Ramlakhan, Argyroudis, Emily and Jacqueline Collins-Koslosky, and Jemerson have all pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Thompkins is scheduled for trial in January 2007.
Lemus faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison to a maximum of 30 years and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 8, 2006.
The case is part of the "Innocence Lost" initiative, a cooperative effort to prevent and prosecute cases involving child prostitution between the FBI, the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
To date, the Innocence Lost Initiative has resulted in 228 open investigations, 543 arrests, 86 complaints, 121 indictments, and 94 convictions in both the federal and state systems.
Demetrius Lemus, 37, of New York City, entered a plea of guilty today before US District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to conspiracy to transport minors to engage in prostitution.
According to the plea agreement, Lemus was part of a prostitution ring operating from 1999 through 2005 in various cities, including Atlantic City, N.J.; New York City (including Manhattan and Hunts Point in the Bronx); Las Vegas; Boston; and Miami.
Other members of the conspiracy, including Melissa Ramlakhan, Anna Argyroudis, Emily Collins-Koslosky, Jacqueline Collins-Koslosky and Kemyra Jemerson, allegedly recruited and transported young girls to and from various cities in order to have them work as prostitutes for pimp Matthew D. Thompkins.
Members of the conspiracy would also hide the proceeds of the illegal prostitution enterprise by converting the proceeds into U.S. postal and Western Union money orders in amounts under the legal reporting requirement of $3,000. To date, over $800,000 in U.S. postal and Western Union money orders have been identified as having been purchased and used by members of the conspiracy.
Ramlakhan, Argyroudis, Emily and Jacqueline Collins-Koslosky, and Jemerson have all pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Thompkins is scheduled for trial in January 2007.
Lemus faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison to a maximum of 30 years and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 8, 2006.
The case is part of the "Innocence Lost" initiative, a cooperative effort to prevent and prosecute cases involving child prostitution between the FBI, the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
To date, the Innocence Lost Initiative has resulted in 228 open investigations, 543 arrests, 86 complaints, 121 indictments, and 94 convictions in both the federal and state systems.
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