Pensacola man used his massage parlor as a front for a human trafficking ring, DOJ says
A Pensacola business owner was arrested Thursday on charges that he operated a human trafficking ring out of Asian massage parlors across three states, a press release says.
David C. Williams, 41, faces multiple federal racketeering, money laundering and harboring illegal alien charges for his role as owner of parlors in Florida, Virginia and Pennsylvania, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
The release said Williams had locations in Pensacola, Gulf Breeze and Gainesville.
A joint effort of multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, IRS and Homeland Security, led to Williams’ arrest. These agencies executed more than a dozen search warrants of businesses linked to Williams. Authorities seized his bank records as well.
Williams’ arrest comes just days after WEAR-TV ABC 3 reported that investigators raided two massage parlors across Northwest Florida.
Corrections records show that Williams is being held at a Santa Rosa jail. His detention hearing is set for Aug. 20 at 2 p.m. in Pensacola.
This story was originally published August 16, 2019 at 6:09 PM.
