On February 2, 2023, two members of “The Sevens” sex trafficking gang, Karvarise Person and James Goode, were sentenced. Person, 33, was sentenced to “life imprisonment plus ten consecutive years’ imprisonment and ten years of supervised release.” James Goode, 47, was sentenced to thirty-seven years imprisonment and ten years of supervised release. If either Person or Goode is released from prison, they will be required to register in accordance with to the Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act.
We previously reported that four members of “The Sevens” were convicted after a six-week trial. The individuals convicted were Shaquile Newson, 29; Alexander Malave, 31; Karvarise Person, 33; James Goode, 47. They were convicted of the following offenses: convicted of numerous offenses: including conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise; conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion of a minor; various violent crimes; sex trafficking; and child exploitation.
“The Sevens” is a sex trafficking gang that operated out of Reading, Pennsylvania. “The Sevens” are known to commit extremely violent acts against women and minors. Some victims were shot, stabbed, murdered, and forced to have a sexual encounter while being held at gunpoint. The gang would document these horrific acts of violence and use it as advertisements of their sex trafficking business.
Person was characterized as a “general” in “The Sevens” gang and was described as one of its most ruthless leaders. The US Attorney’s Office explained that, “in the course of his racketeering enterprise, he raped, robbed, caged, shot, violently beat, and caused others to do the same, under his command and leadership.” Evidence from trial revealed that Person committed many “violent” and “dehumanizing” acts. Some of these acts included shooting, stabbing, beating with a hammer and baton and even locking a minor victim “naked in a dog kennel while he poked her with a knife through its bars.”
Additionally, Goode trafficked women through force, fraud, and coercion by raping them or withholding drugs from them as a means to take advantage and control them.
HSI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker shared his hopes for the victims in this case: “The Sevens gang inflicted depraved and unprecedented violence on its victims and on the communities of Reading. I hope today’s sentencing provides some solace and justice to those brutally victimized and exploited by the Sevens gang.” Further, Reading Police Chief Torineilli stated, “While any sentence cannot undue the horrors the victims of this gang were forced to endure, they and our community can be assured that Person and his gang will no longer be able to terrorize our community.”
Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams shared his thoughts on the fate of “The Sevens” gang. He stated, “Thanks to the collaborative efforts of local and federal law enforcement authorities, this gang and its leader will most likely never be released from prison, nor should they be.”
US Attorney Romero vowed to continue collaborative efforts with law enforcement following this conviction, “We will continue to partner with our local counterparts to bring the resources necessary to dismantle violent gangs and restore peace and safety to the communities upon which they prey.”
The CSE Institute commends the Reading Police Department, the Philadelphia branch of the Department of Homeland Security, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for their tireless investigative efforts and concern for the victims in this case. The work leading to these convictions and sentences is crucial to stop trafficking. Furthermore, the CSE Institute applauds the survivors for their bravery, as survivors’ voices and stories will be the true change in the sex trafficking narrative.
Shaquile Newson and Alexander Malave are scheduled for sentencing in Spring 2023.
The CSE Institute will continue to provide updates in this matter as it proceeds.
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.