Two people face felony human trafficking charges after Sioux Falls police met with two victims. Officials arrested one man and one woman accused of sex trafficking, and they took two more people into custody for drug charges.
The human trafficking investigation started Monday when officers found an ad online related to prostitution. They arranged a meeting with two women.
“The women agreed to meet the undercover officers to perform sex acts for money and were detained at a location in Sioux Falls. At this time our street crimes officers discovered the two women were being trafficked by two Sioux Falls residents,” Lieutenant Dave McIntire says.
McIntire says those women are victims.
Tuesday police arrested 25-year-old Jerrid Morris and 32-year-old Duwanda Smiley. They face felony charges of first degree human trafficking.
McIntire says they also face drug charges after the SWAT team executed a warrant at their home.
“During the search, the following items were found: various documentation of prostitution activities, 8.3 grams of cocaine, seven grams of marijuana, and a plastic bag with methamphetamine residue,” McIntire says.
Officials arrested two more residents on drug charges after the search. They are 28-year-old Ycenia Brown and 24-year-old Shaves Brown.
Lieutenant Dave McIntire says undercover investigations related to online ads are an important way to take sex traffickers off the street and to get victims of human trafficking help.
