COLUMBUS (WCMH) — A Franklin County grand jury indicted four people on RICO charges for allegedly luring women into human trafficking.
Curtis Deshane Gossett, 59, Stacy Anne Rockney, 44, Christina Blair Austin, 28, and Jeffery Martin Bagley, 37, are all facing charges.
Those charges include engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity with a forfeiture of property specification, trafficking in persons – commercial sex acts, compelling prostitution, promoting prostitution, and money laundering.
A fifth person, Brooke Michelle Adkins, 26, was indicted for possession of heroin and aggravated possession of drugs.
According to Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien, the ringleader, Gossett, recruited homeless women who were addicted to heroin.
“Gossett offered a warm place to live and a daily supply of heroin in exchange for money made from prostitution activities, in order to personally benefit financially,” said O’Brien.
O’Brien said Gossett used Rockney, Austin, Bagley and Adkins to assist him in various aspected of the operation, including prepping the women, taking photos for backpage.com, delivering drugs, delivering money, providing transportation and providing protection.
The Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case.