Officials announce charges for alleged gang members in human trafficking ring in Berks County
READING, Pa. - The “Sevens” gang, who officials say derive their name from the seven letter word loyalty, were operating out of a boarding house on the 100 block of South 4th Street.
The Homeland Security Investigations and the Reading Police Department announced 13 alleged members of the “Sevens” gang were charged in a 22-count Superseding Indictment on Wednesday.
The charged individuals include:
–– Shaquile Newson, 26;
–– Alexander Malave, 28;
–– Karvarise E. Person, 30;
–– Fatiema Bivens, 28;
–– Isaiah Rowe, 21;
–– James Good, 44;
–– Yojang Torres-Rosario, 26;
–– Richard Poulson, 26;
–– Jessica Lopez, 39;
–– Ryan Nunez, 23;
–– Tyashia Monroe, 19;
–– Wendy Espada, 28;
–– Michael Diaz Walker, 32;
According to officials, their human and sex trafficking ring began in December 2017 and continued until March 2019.
Newson and Malave are alleged to be the founders of The Sevens gang, which was structured to protect the members and delegated various roles to each member.
“The allegations here against the Sevens gang describe a level of depravity that is hard to imagine,” said U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain. “We have stopped this violence and the Sevens gang will no longer menace the streets of Reading.
Officials say different members were involved in committing violent acts or imposing threats of violence upon victims while others were in charge of gathering money.
Rowe reportedly acted as a guard to watch for cops outside of the boarding house while Torres-Rosario is said to have acted as security.
According to authorities, Lopez received narcotics to sell at the boarding house and managed the money gained from the sex acts involving their victims.
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Espada reportedly recruited women and minors for sex trafficking and took photos of sexual acts for advertisement online.
Walker allegedly sexually abused a minor, took images of the illegal act and distributed those images, officials say.
The charges describe a series of “dehumanizing and violent actions” – some of which involved minors being graphically and violently sexually assaulted.
“The Sevens gang not only operated a sex trafficking ring involving minors, but also allegedly perpetrated crimes of drug trafficking, assaults, robberies, and even homicides,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker. “These horrific crimes were taking place in our own backyard.”
In total, 43 acts were named in the indictment against the “Sevens” gang and they were alleged to have numerous victims during that years-long operation.
Fifteen victims were specifically mentioned in the indictment – two of whom were minors.
“The sevens sex trafficking enterprise has fortunately been decimated,” U.S. Attorney McSwain added.
If convicted, all defendants face up to lifetime imprisonment.
Most of the defendants are facing a minimum of 15 years in prison if convicted.
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