THREE CHARGED WITH HUMAN TRAFFICKING
LANTANA — Floyd “Fish Grease” Lopez collected the money from the women, whom he had forced to work as prostitutes, the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Office said. Armed with handguns, Demetrius “Jive” Wells and Nicholas “Newsky” Sukie stood guard, ensuring that the women could not leave.
All three men were arrested this week on allegations of human trafficking, the latest in a continuing effort by local law-enforcement agencies to crack down a crime described as modern-day slavery.
Wells, 32, of Boynton Beach was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on Tuesday on four counts of armed human trafficking and one count each of sexual battery and false imprisonment. Sukie, 19, of Lake Worth was arrested Tuesday on two counts each of armed trafficking and false imprisonment, and one count of sexual battery.
Judge Dina Keever-Agrama denied bond to both men during a court hearing Wednesday at the Palm Beach County Jail.
Lopez, who turns 35 today and lists an address in Lake Worth, has been in custody since May 2 on charges of sexual assault, battery and kidnapping.
Authorities say the men victimized at least four women, all in their 20s. Lantana police began investigating the men in October after receiving a complaint concerning the Super 8 motel on Hypoluxo Road.
The case was referred to the Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed last year by the Sheriff’s Office, the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office and the FBI.
According to an arrest report made public Thursday, Wells rented a room at the Super 8, and the women were driven to various homes for “dates,” a term used to describe prostitution appointments.
One of the alleged victims later told police investigators that she was paid to have sex with 50 to 60 men at homes from Jupiter to Broward County.
During prostitution appointments, Lopez would instruct Wells and Sukie to take other women under their control into a separate room to keep them quiet, authorities said. Wells and Sukie carried guns and sat against the door to keep the women from escaping.
Authorities say Lopez, Wells and Sukie sexually assaulted at least one of the women.
Lopez paid the men with heroin and marijuana, the report said. In some cases, Lopez would buy the women food only after they completed these appointments, the arrest report said.
Authorities describe human trafficking as the exploitation of another person for labor, domestic servitude or commercial sexual activity through the use of fraud, force or coercion.
Lopez, Wells and Sukie are the third, fourth and fifth men in Palm Beach County this year to be charged with human trafficking. Since the task force formed in 2017, authorities have made nearly 20 arrests.
In January, Delray Beach police arrested 47-year-old Joseph Troutman and 37-yearold Ronald Carter, alleging the men forced at least three women into prostitution. Their cases are due for status hearings in July and August.