October 23, 2024
Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice
More than 20 people were arrested in connection with a human trafficking ring allegedly based out of a home in Lawndale in Northeast Philadelphia.
The alleged ringleader of a human trafficking ring based in Northeast Philadelphia is among 22 people charged in connection to the scheme, state prosecutors said Tuesday.
Terrance Jones, 52, allegedly ran the operation from his home on the 800 block of Disston Street in Lawndale from 2012 to 2023. He is accused of altering his voice and posing as a woman named "Julia" to lure young women into working as sex workers. The women allegedly were taken to and from "dates" in Philadelphia, its suburbs and South Jersey by hired drivers.
The other people charged include his daughter Natoria Jones, who allegedly was the operation's financial manager, four alleged drivers and 16 people who allegedly paid for sex.
Prosecutors said Terrance Jones advertised phone numbers for the business, called the "Girlfriend Experience" or "GFE" online, and targeted women in addiction to be sex workers. During a 10-day stretch in 2023, Jones allegedly arranged 78 "dates." He also is accused of assaulting the women at his home.
He was arrested Friday and charged with corrupt organizations, trafficking individuals, involuntary servitude, conspiracy and related offenses. His bail was set at $2 million. His daughter faces charges of promoting unlawful acts and running a corrupt organization.
"For more than a decade, Terrance Jones allegedly tricked vulnerable young women into his web of control and abuse, disregarding their well-being and safety to make a profit," Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry said. "These charges and arrests are huge steps toward holding Jones and his cohorts accountable for a reign of terror that caused pain and suffering."
State police learned of the ring in 2021 after an informant contacted them, believing a friend was being trafficked, prosecutors said. Investigators met with the woman a motel and she appeared mentally and physically after being taken on four "dates" in one night.
She said Thomas Reilly, one of the four drivers charged in the scheme, allegedly forced her to have sex in exchange for a place to sleep, the Inquirer reported, citing court records. She told investigators that she was given drugs and did not feel free to leave.
Reilly faces similar charges as Terrance Jones, as well as rape and sexual assault offenses. His bail was set at $1 million.
The three other drivers charged in the scheme are James Rudolph, Rhaheem Hill and Joseph Franklin. The 16 people charged with paying for sex are Joseph Szegila, Christopher Wood, Stephen Osborne, Pasquale Difelice, Steven May, Michael Bonczak, Brian Smith, Christopher Bello, Jonathan Fellenz, Robert Brutsche, Kevin Bullock, Boris Volinsky, Brian Nice, Gary Ames, Grady Durham and Gregory Doto.
Anyone with information about Terrance Jones can contact Pennsylvania State Police's Bureau of Criminal Investigations at (215) 452-5239.
