Latest news with #MiddleTennessee-based
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Human trafficking suspect arrested after investigation at Nashville motels
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A man was arrested Tuesday following an investigation into a human trafficking operation based out of Nashville motels. According to court documents, special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation conducted an investigation in December 2023 into a human trafficking operation at Super 8 in the 800 block of Murfreesboro Pike and Somatel Nashville Airport Hotel on Metroplex Drive. 📧 Have breaking news come to you: → During this investigation, officials spoke with two women who claimed they were recruited in Venezuela and smuggled to the United States. Once in Tennessee, the women were reportedly forced into engaging in commercial sex to pay off 'fines' of $20,000-$30,000. Arrest documents detail how the women were sex trafficked under the direction of several people, including Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero and Yilibeth Del Carmen Rivero-De Caldera –who were indicted in February for their roles in a Middle Tennessee-based sex trafficking operation. Tuesday, officers arrested a third person — 25-year-old Ramon de Jesus Velasquez-Martinez — for his role in a similar operation involving Mota-Rivero. According to reports, one of the women said between November 2023 and February 2025 Velasquez-Martinez sent commercial sex clients to her motel rooms, took the money earned from these interactions and frequently took her cellphone to monitor who she was in contact with. RELATED: Several Venezuelan nationals indicted for role in Middle Tennessee-based sex trafficking ring The woman told authorities that in 2024, she escaped the trafficking operation and moved to Miami to work at a restaurant. Velasquez-Martinez reportedly showed up at her workplace and threatened her with a gun to go with him while making comments about her children back in Venezuela. Court documents said after this interaction she returned to Nashville with him and was forced back in to participating in commercial sex acts. During the investigation authorities reportedly found 26 advertisements for commercial sex posted in Nashville which featured Velasquez-Martinez's phone number as the main point of contact. Authorities said thousands of text messages were recovered between Velasquez-Martinez and other suspects regarding commercial sex clients, advertisements and firearms. ⏩ Velasquez-Martinez is charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and felony trafficking for a commercial sex act. According to Davidson County Sheriff's Office records, he is being held on an ICE detainer and a $150,000 bond. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TN nonprofit officials accused of using credit cards for ‘questionable' expenses
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Officials working with a Middle Tennessee-based nonprofit made thousands of dollars worth of unsupported and questionable charges, the Tennessee Comptroller's Office has found. An investigation into officials at the Davis House Child Advocacy Center, which serves children and families in crisis across Middle Tennessee, reportedly revealed that the nonprofit operated at a financial deficit, maintained high credit card balances and incurred late fees between 2020 and 2024. Former La Vergne PTO president indicted for stealing organization money According to the report, investigators found that officials failed to maintain documentation for more than $250,000 in charges that were made on two credit cards. The charges included purchases made at upscale restaurants, retail stores, entertainment venues, alcohol for events, training, and other expenses for the center. 'It is essential that nonprofit organizations with public funding operate transparently and within clearly defined financial policies,' said Comptroller Mumpower. 'Proper oversight by the Board of Directors and documentation help prevent wasteful spending, protect the organization's mission, and promote public trust.' In addition, investigators said they also found that the former executive director for the center used one of the credit cards for at least $345.55 in personal purchases, including charges made during a Florida conference held at Walt Disney World resort. ⏩ However, he later sent a check to 'repay his portion of his personal credit card charges,' according to the report. The results of the investigation have reportedly been sent to the Offices of the District Attorneys General of the 21st and 32nd Judicial Districts. To view the full investigative report, follow this link. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Yahoo
Man accused of robbing restaurant at gunpoint with group in South Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — One man has been arrested after he is accused of robbing a South Nashville restaurant at gunpoint with a group of four others, according to Metro police. According to court documents, on Sunday, Feb. 9, around 9 p.m., officers were called to a reported robbery at a restaurant in the 4000 block of Nolensville Pike. Two employees and a customer reportedly told officers five individuals in masks entered the restaurant with guns and aimed the weapons at them. The suspects allegedly attempted to search the victim's pockets and took their cell phones. 8 Venezuelan nationals indicted for role in Middle Tennessee-based sex trafficking ring Officials said one of the masked individuals approached the cash register and fired a shot at it in an attempt to open it, before using a crowbar to remove it. The person allegedly handed the machine to another suspect, who left with it. According to authorities, all of the masked suspects were seen driving up to the restaurant in a white Ford F150 and returning to the vehicle after the robbery. Tuesday afternoon, detectives with the MNPD Violent Crimes Robbery Operations Team were conducting surveillance in the 300 block of Bakertown Road on the white Ford truck, which was found to have been carjacked before the robbery. Reports said officers began a 'tactical takedown,' and all occupants of the truck got out and fled, including 23-year-old Mario Martinez-Chavez, who was seated in the backseat. ⏩ According to Metro police, Martinez-Chavez was caught and arrested after a brief foot pursuit. Authorities said at the time of his arrest, he was wearing the same clothing that was worn during the robbery, and keys to a carjacked Toyota Sienna were found in his possession. Martinez-Chavez is detained in Metro Jail on a $157,000 bond. No details about additional arrests in this case were immediately shared. 📲 Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go.📧 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.💻 for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
