Man locked up for running human trafficking operation out of Brickell apartment: cops

A search for a missing 15-year-old girl led to the unraveling of a man’s human trafficking operation out of a Brickell apartment complex, according to police.

On Wednesday, Miami Police officers were searching for a missing teen from Brevard County at 485 Brickell Ave. after security footage showed a girl resembling her with a man.

Officers recognized the man as 28-year-old Joshua Notarianni from a previous arrest in October 2022. Court records show the Naples man was charged with resisting officers without violence during that time.

Cops then went to the apartment unit where the girl and man were seen entering. This is when two of his victims, a 20 and 24-year-old woman, exited the apartment and spoke with police.

They admitted that Notarianni was in the apartment and armed. Police say officers could hear him racking a firearm.

“A standoff ensued for several hours until the defendant exited the unit after being instructed to leave the firearm on the counter,” detectives wrote in his arrest report.

Police eventually arrested Notarianni and transported him to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center where he remains as of Thursday afternoon.

His victims told police that he used physical violence to force them into prostitution and then kept all the money that was made. He also kept their identification hidden in a locked room, police say.

Police say he has been previously found guilty of a felony attempted robbery in Collier County.

He currently faces multiple charges including human trafficking, living off of prostitution and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.

“If you or someone you know was a victim targeted by Notarianni, we urge you to come forward,” the Miami Police Department said in a statement.

This story was originally published November 21, 2024 at 2:54 PM.