COLUMBIA, S.C. — In recognition of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina affirms its continued commitment to work with federal, state, and local partners to combat human trafficking in all its forms.
“As we recognize Human Trafficking Awareness Month, we honor the courageous survivors, we mourn the victims, many whose names we will never know, and we remain relentless in our pursuit of traffickers who exploit them,” said United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office – along with our law enforcement partners – will continue our fight to end human trafficking in South Carolina.”
Human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons, is a crime that involves compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services, or to engage in commercial sex acts. The coercion can be subtle or overt, physical or psychological. Exploitation of a minor for commercial sex is human trafficking, regardless of whether any form of force, fraud, or coercion was used.
In the past year, the United States Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of its law enforcement partners, prosecuted the following noteworthy cases:
US v. Eric Rashun Jones Eric Jones, of Newberry, and Brittany Cromer, of Greenville both await sentencing following guilty pleas for Human Trafficking Conspiracy and other charges. Jones recruited vulnerable victims and forced them into commercial sex work for his own financial gain. Jones, aided by Cromer, physically assaulted victims, including breaking one victim’s orbital socket. Jones was convicted in June 2023 and Cromer was convicted in Jan. 2024.
US v. Elizabeth Balcazar, et al. Enrique Balcazar and Elizabeth Balcazar, both of Batesburg, were sentenced to federal prison for labor trafficking, confiscating passports in connection with labor trafficking, and fraud in foreign labor contracting. They recruited 55 Mexican nationals to work at their agricultural company, confiscated their passports and visas, then failed to pay promised wages. Enrique used force and coercion to keep workers with his company, including by threatening deportation, brandishing and discharging firearms, failing to provide medical care, placing locks on the outside of the facility where workers slept, and by posting armed guards at the camp facility.
US v. Aaron Simmons A Greenville man was convicted of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and one count of sex trafficking of a minor after compelling one adult and one minor victim to engage in commercial sex acts. Simmons is awaiting sentencing.
US v. Cedrick Riley Cedrick Riley and Earl Caldwell were sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for their involvement in the sex trafficking of a minor. Caldwell spent at least $45,000 to purchase sex from the minor and supply the victim with clothing, drugs, and hotel rooms. Jessica Mills was also sentenced for her involvement in the conspiracy.
US v. Brian Leroy Watson A Blythewood man was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Minor and Distribution of Heroin. Watson trafficked at least nine victims, including one minor, into the commercial sex trade. Watson frequently used physical violence against his victims, manipulated their drug addiction and withdrawal symptoms, and confiscated monetary proceeds from them. Watson was assisted at times by Ryan Grover, of Barnwell, who pleaded guilty to Human Trafficking Conspiracy and was sentenced to three years in federal prison.
Watch U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs’ call to raise awareness and learn more about combatting human trafficking in your community on our Facebook page. Join the U.S. Attorney’s Office and advocates across the country for #WearBlueDay tomorrow, Jan. 11, to honor human trafficking survivors during Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.