Two Gang Members Convicted of Human Trafficking of Minors NR16375ti

Los Angeles: The Los Angeles
Police Department, Operations South Bureau Human Trafficking Task
Force, Long Beach Police Department’s Vice unit and the Los Angeles
County District Attorney’s Office, concluded by way of felony
conviction of a seven-month investigation into a claim of human
trafficking of minors.

The defendants in this matter both self-admitted gang member, Ulis
Morris, 24-years-ofld, and Raylonzo Roberts, 41-years-old both from
Los Angeles, California were convicted of Human Trafficking of
Minors. The victims ages in this case ranged from 15-to-17-year-old
females and were from Los Angeles and San Bernardino,
California.

The investigation began when a minor victim reported the
traffickers to the investigative personnel of the LAPD Operations
South Bureau Human Trafficking Task force and the Long Beach Police
Department.

The investigation revealed that the suspects enticed and persuaded
the minor to work as a prostitute along the Western Avenue and
Figueroa corridor in South Los Angeles and on Long Beach Boulevard
while they were in Long Beach area. The suspects took the victims
to hotels and areas where prostitutes are known to loiter and used
social media websites to advertise, sell and sexually exploit the
minors.

On one occasion Morris, picked up a minor from a non-secure
juvenile placement facility transported her back to Los Angeles
where he commercially sexually exploited her.

Morris was found guilty of 3 counts of human trafficking of minors
at trial in a Los Angeles Superior Court and was sentenced to 21
years and 4 months in state prison. Roberts was also found guilty
of 2 counts of human trafficking of minors at trial and was
sentenced to 16 years in state prison.

Anyone with information in regard to this suspect is asked to call
Operations South Bureau Human Trafficking Task Force at
213-926-3963. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls
should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone
wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at
1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime
Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most
keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages should begin with the
letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to www.lapdonline.org, and
click on “Anonymous Web Tips.”