Former New Orleans motel owner pleads guilty to role in sex trafficking ring
NEW ORLEANS – The former owner of the Riviera Motel in New Orleans pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to felony charges of financially benefiting from human trafficking as part of a scheme in which he allowed pimps to seize identity documents and compel women into prostitution on the premises. The guilty plea follows a joint investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI.
Kanubhai Patel, AKA, Mr. Kenny, and Pop, 74, of Kenner, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of benefiting financially from trafficking in persons. According to court documents, Patel acknowledged in his guilty plea that he regularly rented rooms to co-conspirators that he knew to be pimps who forced and coerced women to engage in prostitution. Patel also admitted that although he never personally recruited, groomed or coerced any of the victims, he benefited financially from the sex trafficking operation.
Patel was indicted in October 2014 along with five additional co-conspirators. A seventh co-conspirator was indicted separately in March 2014. Of those seven defendants, six have now pleaded guilty and one is awaiting trial.
“Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that Homeland Security Investigations fights as one of its highest priorities via a coordinated global effort with the FBI and our state and local law enforcement partners,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Cindy M. Johnson of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) New Orleans. “The results speak for themselves; over the past two years HSI has doubled its number of human trafficking arrests. HSI will continue to investigate and seek prosecution of these criminals while also ensuring the victims of this terrible crime are rescued and get the care they need.”
Patel admitted in his guilty plea he charged his pimp co-conspirators higher rates than other motel guests and he opened the motel’s gate to enable prostitutes to easily bring customers back to the hotel. Patel did so despite knowing these pimps physically assaulted women they prostituted, including one instance in which a co-conspirator brutally beat one woman with a large piece of wood leaving her with multiple lacerations and what appeared to be a broken arm. Patel also accepted money from a pimp to not contact law enforcement after another incident in which a co-conspirator beat a prostitute in a motel room resulting in broken furnishings and blood on the wall.
Patel also knew that, in furtherance of the sex trafficking scheme, members of the sex trafficking conspiracy took the women’s identification cards. Patel saw co-conspirators use these seized identification cards to rent rooms, but Patel did not report them to police as long as they paid their rent.
“The Department of Justice will not tolerate those who traffic in human beings or who benefit financially from human trafficking,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “We will continue in our steadfast determination to bring to justice not only those who use force and coercion to exploit other human beings—but also those entities or individuals who knowingly profit from these depraved acts.”
“This defendant callously profited from a sex trafficking venture that used force, fraud and coercion to compel women to engage in commercial sex acts,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana Kenneth A. Polite Jr. “These crimes often pass without detection because victims live in fear from physical abuse, threats and other forms of coercion. My office is committed to prosecuting individuals and organizations that profit from this illegal conduct.”
Patel faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for benefiting financially in a trafficking scheme involving control of identity documents. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
“This investigation and prosecution should serve as a clear reminder to all those individuals engaged in sex trafficking and those who profit from this heinous crime that the full force of federal law enforcement, across geographical boundaries, will bring them to swift justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Anderson of the FBI’s New Orleans Office.
Five other defendants have pleaded guilty in connection with the case. On June 25, 2014, Zacchaeus Taylor, 22, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking conspiracy and to transportation for purposes of prostitution. Laquentin Brown, 33, and Anthony Ellis, 26, subsequently pleaded guilty to the same charges March 4, 2015 and April 20, 2015, respectively. All of these defendants are from Memphis, Tennessee, and each faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy and a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for transportation for prostitution.
On April 20, 2015, Duane Phillips, 29, and Christopher Williams, 30, also of Memphis, each pleaded guilty to sex trafficking conspiracy. They each face a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.
This case is being prosecuted by Department of Justice Special Litigation Counsel John Cotton Richmond and Trial Attorney Christine M. Siscaretti of the Civil Right Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia K. Evans of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The public can report suspected instances of human trafficking to HSI's tip line at 866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423) or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.
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