Authorities in Dauphin County have made their second human trafficking arrest following a seven-month investigation by city and county officials that began as a routine traffic stop. According to PennLive.com, the incident would likely have resulted in a simple drug and gun arrest, but Officer Anthony Fiore noticed a PlayStation gaming console in the vehicle and correctly sensed there was much more to the situation than initially met the eye.
Daerell Holmes and Edward Edmonds were arrested in late July on charges of involuntary servitude, and Johnnie J. Ferrel was arrested in early August after being linked to the criminal enterprise allegedly run by Edmonds.
On the surface, this enterprise purported to be a transitional housing ministry called Beyond Your Limits Church. Edmonds and his associates allegedly operated the “ministry” out of 3-story property in Harrisburg. The website for the ministry lists various events geared toward children such as “fishing with god”, “bowling with god”, and “camping with god” as being a part of Beyond Your Limit’s typical religion-themed outreach events. PennLive.com reports that the church was a façade used to take advantage of young people from unstable families or with addiction problems in order to compel them into committing retail theft and other crimes allegedly for the benefit of Edmonds and his associates. As we have previously reported, these vulnerable populations often fall prey to traffickers.
“These people used the false front of religion to prey on people with nowhere to go – got them addicted to heroin so they could control every aspect of their lives,” said Jack Canavan, Dauphin County Prosecutor, “and they used this control to force them to steal electronics and subjected them to physical, emotional and sexual abuse.”
Also, according to PennLive.com, an alleged victim who acquired $2000 worth of electronics was rewarded with $50 worth of heroin, whereas a victim who did not would face being shot in the legs with a BB gun or whipped with a belt. The female victims were allegedly coerced into performing sex acts with Edmonds in exchange for heroin. There is also evidence that Edwards allegedly offered heroin to the residents who had not used opioids before in order to get them addicted to the drug and make them easier to control. Police also claim that there is footage of Edmonds engaged in a sex act with a 16-year-old recorded on his cell phone. Additionally, a bag full of driver’s licenses, social security cards, and other forms of identification was found in Edmonds’s bedroom, which police believe he kept to remain in total control over the victims. There is also evidence that Edwards allegedly offered heroin to the residents who had not used opioids before in order to get them addicted to the drug and make them easier to control.
All of the above mentioned allegations, if proven beyond a reasonable doubt, are direct evidence that Edmonds and anyone else who knowingly participated in this enterprise are in violation of Pennsylvania’s law against involuntary servitude. The statute, 18 Pa.C.S. § 3012(b), outlines the means of subjecting an individual to involuntary servitude, many of which are seen in this case. First, the means of 3012(b)(5) – “causing or threatening to cause harm to another individual” is evidenced by the torture inflicted on victims who failed to bring home a certain amount of stolen electronics. Next, the means of 3012(b)(5)(6) – “taking or retaining the individual’s personal property or real property as a means of coercion” and “engaging in unlawful conduct with respect to documents” can be proven by the hoard of victim identification found in Edward’s bedroom. The means of 3012(b)(8) – “fraud” would be the entire enterprise being billed as a church focused on helping young people. Also, the means of 3012(b)(11) – “debt coercion” may be proven by the victims being coerced into shoplifting electronics as part of their staying in the fake ministry. Additionally, 3012(b)(12) – “facilitating or controlling the individual’s access to a controlled substance” was also present here, as victims were allegedly given heroin in return for the retrieval of stolen electronics. Finally, the means of 3012(b)(13) – “using any scheme, plan or pattern intended to cause the individual to believe that, if the individual does not perform the labor, services, acts or performances, that individual or another individual will suffer serious harm or physical restraint” was exemplified in the torture inflicted and threatened to be inflicted on victims who did not comply with the demands of Edwards and his other accomplices at the fake ministry.
As this case continues to unfold, we encourage authorities to continue to look for common signs of trafficking, such as the holding of personal identification and the use of drugs to institute control, in this and future situations. Unfortunately, taking advantage of those in vulnerable situations is all too common in instances of trafficking. Recognizing this is an important step in properly identifying the presence of trafficking, and can serve as a reminder to authorities dealing with these situations in a victim-centered fashion.
The CSE Institute admires the insight of Officer Fiore for identifying the clues that launched this investigation. We also applaud the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office for their arduous work to prosecute these traffickers, preventing their phony “church” from preying on any other susceptible adolescents in the community. The CSE Institute will continue to provide updates regarding this case.
All views expressed herein are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law or of Villanova University.