A Silver Spring man has been arrested and extradited to Florida on human trafficking and prostitution-related charges, officials announced.
31-year-old Monriko Mequel Clements is accused of drugging and tattooing his girlfriend whom he forced into prostitution, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said during a Thursday news conference.
Clements, a rapper known as “King Swuice,” is alleged to have met his victim online in April and taken her to Florida with the intention of exploiting her. Prosecutors allege that Clements established an escort website and collected more than $20,000 from the victim.
Prosecutors revealed that Clements injected cocaine and MDMA into his girlfriend, a common tactic used by sex traffickers. He also branded her with a “King Swuice” tattoo on her breast. In a photograph of Clements, he is wearing a chain that bears the same design as the tattoo on the victim.
On November 14, the woman jumped out of a moving car and landed on an expressway in Miami, prompting officials to launch an investigation. She was able to contact her mother and inform her that she was in danger. The woman’s mother was then able to contact Maryland State Police, which notified Florida law enforcement officials of the incident.
Montgomery County Police and Howard County Police assisted the South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force in arresting Clements in Fulton, Md.
Clements is charged with one count of human trafficking, a first-degree felony, and one count of deriving support from proceeds of prostitution, a second-degree felony. His bond was set at $45,000 on condition of house arrest in South Florida.
Photos & Graphic Courtesy of the Miami Dade State’s Attorney Office