Latest news with #Zaldivar
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Two men, including western Mass. teen, indicted for alleged sex trafficking conspiracy involving minor
BOSTON (WWLP) — A Maryland man and a 19-year-old from Ludlow have been indicted in a federal conspiracy to sex traffic a minor. Maryland man allegedly paid Massachusetts teen for sex; feds believe others victimized According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, David Kaufman, 44, of Baltimore, and Darren Zaldivar, 19, of Ludlow, have been charged in a superseding indictment unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Boston. Both face charges of conspiring to engage in the sex trafficking of a minor. Kaufman is also charged with sex trafficking of a minor, and Zaldivar is charged with transporting an individual with the intent that the individual engage in prostitution. Zaldivar is scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston later this week. Kaufman remains in federal custody. Kaufman was initially indicted last month for knowingly persuading, inducing, enticing, and coercing an individual to travel across state lines to engage in prostitution, as well as aiding and abetting in that crime. According to the detention brief, Kaufman had been targeting minor males and young adults between the ages of 14 and 20, paying for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and coercing some to travel for in-person encounters. Zaldivar allegedly participated in the trafficking of a minor victim and is accused of transporting that victim with the intent to facilitate commercial sex. According to court documents, Kaufman allegedly coerced an 18-year-old victim to travel from Massachusetts to his penthouse condominium in Baltimore on two occasions in 2024. He is accused of paying for the victim's travel and then providing the victim with alcohol and drugs, including cocaine, until the victim was intoxicated. Kaufman allegedly engaged in and recorded sex acts with the victim, offering compensation in the form of cash, electronic money transfers, and expensive gifts. After one encounter in February 2024, he allegedly bought the victim a Louis Vuitton bag. 'If you have information or questions about this investigation, or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking or child exploitation, please contact federal authorities said in a statement. The case remains under investigation. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Massachusetts man accused of trafficking teen to Four Seasons condo in Baltimore for commercial sex
A Massachusetts man is accused of trafficking an 18-year-old teenager from the Bay State to have commercial sex with a Maryland man at his Four Seasons penthouse condominium in Baltimore, federal officials said. Both men, Darren Zaldivar, 19, of Ludlow, and David Kaufman, 44, of Maryland, are now charged with conspiring to engage in sex trafficking of a minor, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement on Wednesday. Kaufman is also charged with sex trafficking of a minor. Zaldivar is also charged with transporting an individual with intent the individual engage in prostitution. Both men were charged in a superseding indictment announced Wednesday. Kaufman, who was previously charged in April, remains detained in federal custody. Zaldivar was slated to appear in federal court in Boston on Wednesday. On April 16, Kaufman was arrested and charged federally for allegedly coercing and enticing an 18-year-old from Massachusetts to travel to his penthouse condominium at the Four Seasons in Baltimore, Maryland and engage in in sex acts with him, which prosecutors said he video-recorded. A federal grand jury indicted Kaufman on two counts of knowingly persuading, inducing, enticing and coercing an individual to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution, and aiding and abetting. According to court documents, Kaufman is accused of victimizing teens and young adults, ranging in ages from 14 to 20, paying them to travel to Baltimore and elsewhere to engage in sex acts with him. Prosecutors allege that Kaufman coerced and enticed some of the victims to travel to his penthouse condominium at the Four Seasons in Baltimore, and elsewhere, to engage in sex acts with him, which he allegedly video recorded. Prosecutors allege Zaldivar conspired with Kaufman in the sex trafficking of a minor victim in 2024. Zaldivar is also alleged to have transported the minor victim with the intent that the victim engage in commercial sex. According to court filings, Kaufman coerced an 18-year-old victim to travel from Massachusetts twice to visit his penthouse condominium at the Four Seasons in Baltimore, paying for the plane tickets. While there, Kaufman allegedly provided the victim with alcohol and drugs, including cocaine, until the victim was intoxicated. Prosecutors allege that Kaufman would then persuade the victim to engage in sex acts 'which Kaufman videotaped so that he could watch them later in order to get pleasure for himself.' Prosecutors allege that in exchange for the sex acts, Kaufman paid the victim with cash, electronic money transfers and gifts. For example, after he engaged in sex acts in February 2024, Kaufman allegedly bought the victim a Louis Vuitton bag. Anyone with information or questions about the investigation or who knows someone experiencing commercial sex trafficking or child exploitation is urged to email For the charge of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor, Zaldivar and Kaufman face a sentence of up to life, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. For the charge of transporting an individual with intent the individual engage in prostitution, Zaldivar faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. For each charge of coercing a person to travel for purposes of prostitution, Kaufman faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. For the charge of sex trafficking a minor, Kaufman faces a sentence of up to life, up to life and no less than five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mass. teen worked with Maryland man to sex traffic minors, officials say
A Massachusetts teenager is facing charges after officials said he worked with a 44-year-old Maryland man to sex traffic minors. Darren Zaldivar, 19, of Ludlow, was indicted and charged with three counts of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor and two counts of transporting an individual with intent the individual engage in propitiation, according to court documents. He was arrested May 13. On April 16, David Kaufman, 44, was arrested on an indictment charging him with one count of knowingly persuading, inducing, enticing and coercing an individual to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution and aiding and abetting. There were at least four Western Massachusetts teenagers between the ages of 14-17 involved and one teenager from Connecticut. They are all friends or former friends with a witness, court documents state. Four of the teenagers were connected to Kaufman on Snapchat. Kaufman would pay the teenagers for child sexual abuse material, officials said. He'd coerce and entice some of them to travel to his penthouse condominium at the Four Seasons in Baltimore to engage in sexual acts with him, which he video recorded. Officials said Zaldivar conspired with Kaufman in the sex trafficking of a minor victim in 2024. Zaldivar also transported the minor victim with the intent that the victim engage in commercial sex. Officials said they discovered electronic transfers of money from Kaufman to the teenagers. He also paid for plane tickets, a Louis Vuitton bag and shoes. After Kaufman connected with a 19-year-old on Snapchat, court documents state they settled on $10,000 for a video, with partial payment up front and the rest later. A $5,000 CashApp transaction around the same time in 2023 was sent from Kaufman's account to an account using the name 'Joseph Smith.' In July 2023, and additional $5,000 was transferred on CashApp from Kaufman to 'Joseph Smith.' Overall, financial records indicate that Kaufman transferred over $80,000 to accounts in the 19-year-old's name. Officials said he also sent at least $6,400 to a 16-year-old and over $1,200 to a 14-year-old in exchange for photos or videos. One of the times, when an 18-year-old didn't want to engage in the sexual acts, Kaufman got upset, court documents state. Kaufman said he experienced childhood trauma, had previously engaged in self-harm and that he had suicidal ideations. Kaufman then showed the teenager photos of himself at the emergency room with his arm cut all the way up to his shoulder to 'prove that he had harmed himself before,' court documents state. Kaufman then told the teenager that he was going to cut himself or jump off his balcony if the teen didn't do as Kaufman wanted, court documents state. He later paid the 18-year-old with cash because 'he was scared of the government seeing that he was sending money to a lot of people electronically,' court documents read. 'Kaufman used flights, money, gifts, drugs, and alcohol to get what he wanted from this vulnerable young man ...,' court documents state. 'These were not purely consensual commercial sex transactions. This was a man in his 40s who, working with a 17-year-old, used drugs, money, emotional manipulation, and other tactics to persuade and entice an 18-year-old to travel to engage in sex acts that he did not want to engage in.' A jury trial for Kaufman is scheduled for July 7. Well-known James Bond actor, star of 'Walking Tall' dies at 89 'DO NOT let them inside': Police warn of company asking to use your bathroom Mass. weather: High humidity, isolated showers and thunder expected Mass. casino winner: Jackpot won off of $2.50 slots bet Powerball winner: $1 million ticket sold in Massachusetts Read the original article on MassLive.
Miami Herald
30-01-2025
- Miami Herald
State weighing death penalty for suspected murderer of Cuban reggaeton star El Taiger
Almost four months after Cuban reggaeton star El Taiger was gunned down at the doorstep of his Hialeah home just before daylight, the man accused of shooting him has been charged with first-degree murder by a Miami-Dade grand jury. Damian Valdez-Galloso, 50, didn't appear in court Thursday morning. But his attorney Kellie Peterson told Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Milton Hirsch that her client was pleading not guilty, then requested a jury trial. She also asked the state if it would seek the death penalty. 'We have not made that determination yet,' said Miami-Dade Assistant State Attorney Kimberly Rivera, before asking for, and being granted, a couple of weeks to make a decision. Valdez-Galloso, who initially fled the state after the assassination, was facing a second-degree murder charge prior to the grand jury indictment. Jurors also charged him with tampering with evidence and felony possession of a firearm. The accused shooter, who was convicted of having sex with minors over a decade ago and remains a registered sex offender, is behind bars at the Turner Guilford Knight correctional center. Found in back of Mercedes SUV in Miami Police initially discovered El Taiger, whose birth name is José Manuel Carvajal Zaldívar, bleeding from the head with a gunshot wound in the back of 2023 Mercedes SUV at Northwest Ninth Avenue and 17th Street in Miami, just before 7 a.m. on Oct. 3. He had been shot in the head. Zaldivar was alive, but barely. He was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital where he hung on for about a week, before he died. After investigating the crime scene, speaking to potential witnesses and viewing surveillance video, police determined that Zaldivar responded to a knock on the front door of his Hialeah home at 5:24 a.m. They said once the door opened, Valdez-Galloso shot Zaldivar in the head. The defendant dragged Zaldivar's body to the SUV, cleaned up the crime scene and changed clothes, before taking off about 30 minutes later in the victim's vehicle, police said. Accused shooter fled to New York It took law enforcement almost a month to find Valdez-Galloso, who was finally taken into custody in Brooklyn, New York, on Oct. 29 by federal marshals on an out-of-state warrant for failing to register as a sex offender. He was flown back to Miami and charged with Zaldivar's death. Investigators say Zaldivar and Valdez-Galloso were childhood friends. But they aren't certain what caused the riff that led to the music star's death. An immensely popular Cuban artist who collaborated with stars including Bad Bunny, Zaldívar amassed over a million Instagram followers and has been viewed on YouTube more than 385 million times. Some of his passionate fans have appeared at the Miami-Dade criminal courthouse to observe Valdez-Galloso's courtroom hearings.
