U.S. Attorney Will Thompson Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Training In Recognizing Human Trafficking Offered

Not everyone understands what human trafficking is and what it isn’t. But a special training opportunity Thursday morning will explain the differences.

United States Attorneys Will Thompson and William Ihlenfeld will jointly host a human trafficking training event on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at locations in Charleston and Wheeling as well as virtually.

The joint training event is called Human Trafficking: Facts, Fiction, and Federal Law. It will feature participation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Pittsburgh Division, the West Virginia Fusion Center, the West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services (FRIS), the West Virginia Child Advocacy Network and Angie Conn, a human trafficking survivor, victim advocate and founder of SheWhoDares Consulting LLC.

WHERE:

Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 1114 Virginia Street East, Charleston

St. Michael Catholic Church Angelus Center, 1225 National Road, Wheeling

To register call 304-234-7743 or use the QR code below.

Human Traffickers Prey On Family, Children

Human trafficking in West Virginia is different from what we see in other areas of the country, according to a number of West Virginia law enforcement experts.

Editor’s Note: There is no explicit language in this reporting, but some of the topics may be difficult for some. This story is the first in a three-part series. The second story will cover law enforcement and prosecution. In the final story, we’ll hear more from a survivor about her experiences.

Many of us have heard the phrase “human trafficking.” It may bring to mind people packed into a truck being shipped across the southern border or kidnapped and sent into sex slavery in another country.

Not that those problems aren’t real, but human trafficking in West Virginia is different, according to a number of West Virginia law enforcement experts.

“Human trafficking is the exploitation of an individual for the purpose of commercial sex or compelled labor,” Paula Yount, the programs and law enforcement training coordinator from the West Virginia Fusion Center, said. “You mentioned human smuggling, and a coyote bringing someone across the border. Human smuggling is a crime against a border where transportation is required. But human trafficking is a crime against a person and transportation is not required.”

The West Virginia Fusion Center is the state’s central clearinghouse for information on criminal activity. Yount’s job is to identify situations where human trafficking is suspected and to send that information along with local police.

For Yount, the problem is many victims may not understand they are being used.

“They may not realize that the situation that they’re in, again, through the use of force, fraud or coercion, that it is a situation of human trafficking,” she said. “They may not know who to seek out for help.”

In 2021, there were 112 “signals” about human trafficking in West Virginia. Those can be phone calls, emails, chats or other contacts either from a person who is being trafficked or from a person reporting their suspicions, according to the West Virginia Report from the National Human Trafficking Hotline Data Report.

Jack Luikart, director of the Fusion Center, said human trafficking is one of the most under prosecuted crimes in the state. These crimes are often perpetrated by family members or other trusted individuals who “sell” people who are in difficult situations.

In his 30 years in law enforcement, he said he never really heard about human trafficking until the last few years.

“It wasn’t even a topic of conversation among law enforcement,” he said. “I was never given any classes on human trafficking. I was never told how to recognize human trafficking. No prosecutor or anyone ever said we might have a human trafficking charge here, or I as an officer never thought about that side of things.”

One of Luikart’s goals through the Fusion Center is to take training and education to state agencies to make sure law enforcement doesn’t miss the opportunity to file those charges.

“I just think that as we educate, as we publicize the statewide initiative, the governor’s offices directs all state offices to put the brochures, the fliers out, the information will be posted in all rest areas, all welcome centers,” he said.

Secretary of State Mac Warner is using his position as the licensing agency for all businesses in the state to create the West Virginia Businesses Against Trafficking program. Businesses are asked to post information and to be aware of customers who may be in trouble.

For William Thompson, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, the problem is basic and troubling.

“A lot of what we see is as a direct result of what I call, you can call it the opioid epidemic, the drug epidemic, whatever it might be,” he said. “We see a lot of what family trafficking where family members are essentially selling young children into sexual acts in order to get some money, which is then usually spent on drugs.”

Thompson said he does see labor trafficking, too. In some cases, it happens in disreputable rehab centers or halfway houses where people are living on the edge.

“Some of them are taking advantage of the people who suffer from addiction, and essentially forcing them into labor,” Thompson said. “Whether it be panhandling, you know, we’ve seen when you go through a Walmart or somewhere close and you see people panhandling, usually that’s a form of human trafficking. They’ll transport them six, eight, ten hours away. Take their means of transportation, ID, communications and say you need to go out and do this for a number of hours, or you don’t get a ride home.”

Whether for sex or for labor, people are preyed upon by others while they are at their most vulnerable. Often their support system is gone or they are isolated and there is no one to turn to. And then the trafficker tells them to do something or they will lose what little they have left.

Often, it’s a family member or relative that is doing the trafficking. That was the case for Jane Doe. She is a survivor of human trafficking for sex. WVPB is not using her real name in an effort to protect her identity.

“They’ve taken three years of my life telling a story that wasn’t even true,” Doe said. “There were missing parts of it. And I just want to be able to fill the missing pieces with what actually happened.”

Doe’s trafficker, her stepmother, has been sentenced to prison. The man she was sold to for sex will be sentenced soon. And at that point, she said she looks forward to telling everyone her story.

This story is the first in a three-part series on human trafficking in West Virginia. The second story will cover law enforcement and prosecution. In the final story, we’ll hear more from Jane Doe about her experiences.

Human Trafficking Resources:

If you or a loved one is the victim of human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, text 233733 or dial 911.

Jewish Fears, Zero Hate Crime Tolerance Highlight W.Va. Antisemetic Law Enforcement Training

Federal officials say antisemitism in America is up 400 percent since the Hamas-Israel War began a month ago, and West Virginia law enforcement is on high alert.

The U.S. attorneys for the northern and southern districts of West Virginia partnered Monday with the American Jewish Committee and the FBI to conduct antisemitism training for state law enforcement.

In his welcoming remarks, Rabbi Victor Urecki spoke with a voice of fear and a heart of hope. He told those gathered at his B’nai Jacob Temple in Charleston that his once open day and night temple doors, now stayed locked. He said his congregation has endured active shooter training, his temple has security alarms, and there’s now a police presence during the Jewish High Holy Days.

“That is not the way America is,” Urecki said. “I think if we can find the causes of this, find what we can do to tamp down that hate and let it go back down into the ground as opposed to being as violent as we’ve seen it today.”

West Virginia Southern District U.S. Attorney Will Thompson was the training host in Charleston. Northern District U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld joined in virtually from Wheeling. Thompson said this training was planned for months. He said before the war began on Oct. 7, hate crime preparedness was preventive, now it’s alarmingly vital.

“I regret that we still have Nazis as part of our news cycle,” Thompson said. “That’s really sad, but we are seeing it. We want them here to realize what antisemitism is and how to recognize signs of it. People might not realize it, when they first initially see it.”

The FBI is the lead agency for hate crime violations. FBI Agent Tony Rausa referred to a Charleston neighborhood. He said antisemetic red flags can be raised beyond hate inspired rallies.

“There were individuals disseminating some messages of hate along the west side,” Rausa said. “We saw someone dropping leaflets in plastic bags with some material indiscriminately throwing them out across people’s properties. We want to be able to look into that and figure out what’s going on behind the scenes to see if there is a greater message of hate that we’re not seeing on the surface.”

An FBI agent and two law enforcement officers attend antisemitic training.

*Credit: Randy Yohe/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department Captain Eric Drennan said his team is ready in case any hate crime rally might get out of hand.

“People come out and do their protests and are usually well behaved,” Drennan said. “We do have contingency plans in place in case something out of the ordinary would happen.”

All involved in the training said the Jewish defense of Israel is a fight against Hamas terrorism. Thompson said he’s been reaching out to those of the Muslim faith as well, to make sure they are protected. He said West Virginia authorities will have no tolerance of any hate crimes, including Islamophobia.

“This is not a war against the babies of Palestine, the children and families of Palestine,” Thompson said. “This is a war against terrorists. We want to make sure people understand that. We want to make sure all parts of our community live together, work together, prosper together.”

Urecki said he hopes those attending the training here, and joining from around the state virtually, would leave this gathering with a sense of purpose – and hope.

“As members of the Jewish community right now, we’re scared,” Urecki said. “We’re scared from what we’re seeing from the far right and from the far left regarding a dramatic rise of hatred and antisemitism. What we are seeing here today is an outpouring of a sense of responsibility and a sense of urgency that we must try to see what we can do to help create peace among all peoples.”

Both Thompson and Urecki said they were sad that a law enforcement presence was required outside the temple, protecting those attending this training.

U.S. Attorney: Firearms Used In Most Domestic Violence Deaths

Nearly one in four women, and one in seven men, will experience severe domestic abuse in their lifetime and 20 percent of all violent crime is categorized as domestic violence.

In support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), Will Thompson, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, is promoting the importance of enforcing federal firearm prohibitions.

Domestic violence abusers with access to a gun are five times more likely to kill their partners, according to the 2021 National Crime Victimization Survey data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

“Domestic violence affects us all personally in some way, and can have long-lasting impacts and consequences,” Thompson said. “As federal prosecutors in the Southern District of West Virginia, it is incumbent upon us to deploy every available resource and forge strategic collaborations with local law enforcement and fellow prosecutors. We have a shared responsibility to ensure that victims have a viable path to safety and justice.”

Thompson is promoting the importance of enforcing federal firearm prohibitions as part of the observance of DVAM.

In West Virginia, 14 of the 19 domestic violence homicides reported in 2020 were committed with firearms. Domestic violence abusers with access to a gun are five times more likely to kill their partners.

Under federal law, offenders with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, and those subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms. They can face felony prosecution and a federal prison sentence.

“A crucial part of combatting domestic violence and reducing violent crimes includes enforcing federal firearm prohibitions,” Thompson said. “We want our communities to know that we are here to support victims and survivors in the Southern District of West Virginia, and not just in October but every month.”

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence or need resources, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/ovw/local-resources.

Immediate help for domestic violence victims: Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (@ndvhofficial) at 1-800-799-7233 or Strong Hearts Native Helpline (@strongheartsdv) at 1-844-762-8483.

Feds Announce Major Drug Bust, Arrests In West Virginia

A federal drug trafficking investigation in West Virginia has resulted in charges against 54 people and the seizure of more than 200 pounds (91 kilograms) of methamphetamine, authorities said Wednesday.

U.S. Attorney Will Thompson said law enforcement also seized lesser amounts of cocaine and fentanyl along with 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash.

“The takedown of this drug trafficking organization stopped a record amount of methamphetamine, as well as other dangerous drugs, from reaching our communities and causing harm,” Thompson said. “This investigation demonstrates that we will use all of our resources, including new and innovative investigative techniques, against those who target our communities with this poison. Our law enforcement partners worked tirelessly to dismantle this organization and obtain these indictments, and I commend their outstanding work and dedication.”

Thompson said 30 of the suspects were indicted by a federal grand jury and the others are charged in state criminal complaints. Most of the suspects in the federal cases are Charleston residents. Two are from Detroit and one is from Waynesboro, Virginia.

Thompson called it the largest seizure of methamphetamine ever in West Virginia.

The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.