Hotel Near Old Whitestone Movie Theater Ran Pimps’ Paradise, Prosecutors Said
BRONX - Prosecutors said workers at a Bronx Hotel ran a pimp’s paradise where they turned a blind eye to prostitution carried out in the hotel. Workers and alleged pimps were charged with child trafficking and promoting prostitution charges.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell announced that six men—three alleged pimps, and the manager, front desk clerk and security guard at a Bronx hotel—have been indicted on a host of charges including Enterprise Corruption, Sex Trafficking of a Child, and Promoting Prostitution, and two of the alleged pimps are also charged with Rape.
“This scheme involves brutal pimps, and hotel employees who allegedly were paid to look away from the despicable acts of degradation against teenage girls and facilitate them,” Clark said. “The 7 Days Hotel allegedly profited from the human trafficking of girls and young women, and now employees will be held accountable. Hotels should be regulated in a manner where they cannot host criminal activity for years without bearing responsibility.”
Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said, “The NYPD and our law enforcement partners share an unwavering commitment to protecting the survivors of sex trafficking, one of society’s most heinous crimes. And we will continue to ensure that anyone who seeks to profit through the abuse and exploitation of other people – especially our youth – is held fully accountable. I thank and commend all of the investigators in the NYPD’s Vice Enforcement Division Major Case Section and the prosecutors in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office for their tireless efforts in this important case.”
Clark said the defendants Akeem Lee, 34; Marvin Flint, 32; Anthony Reyes, 31; Golam Rabbani, 27; Robert Olaguibel, 45; and Patrick Walker, 51 were variously charged in an 80-count indictment for Enterprise Corruption, Sex Trafficking, Compelling Prostitution, Promoting Prostitution, Intimidating a victim or witness, Conspiracy, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Falsifying Business Records, and other related charges.
Walker, Reyes, Rabbani and Lee were arraigned on April 3, 2023, before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Lawrence Busching, Lee was remanded, and Reyes had bail set in the amounts of $10k cash/ $50k bond. They are due back in court on May 18, 2023. Flint was arraigned on April 4, 2023, and remanded. Olaguibel was arrested in Pennsylvania and has not been arraigned yet.
According to the investigation by the NYPD Vice Human Trafficking Team and the Bronx District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Unit, the conspiracy took place from on or about August, 2019 through November, 2022, among members or associates of a prostitution organization which operated inside of the 7 Days Hotel located at 2338 Bruckner Boulevard.
According to the investigation, one of the girls engaged in prostitution for the co-conspirators starting when she was 14 years old and continuing until she was 17 years old.
Defendant Akeem Lee allegedly hit and choked her and threatened to kill her if she went to the police.
According to the investigation and related investigations, approximately 16 girls and young women were trafficked by the co-conspirators. Out of the 16, seven were underage.
An undercover NYPD officer posed as a pimp. He and alleged trafficker Marvin Flint were given discounted room rates in exchange for cash tips to hotel employees. According to the investigation, Robert Olaguibel, manager; Golam Rabbani, front desk clerk; and Patrick Walker, security guard allegedly facilitated prostitution by failing to check their identification or that of the sex workers; and failing to post inside of the Hotel a Human Trafficking victims’ hotline number as required by New York State Law. Defendants tipped each other off if law enforcement was present at the Hotel in order to evade arrest.
An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.
