Couple Indicted For Human Trafficking

Couple Indicted For Human Trafficking Hubbardston residents allegedly ran sex parties in hotels

Damien Fisher News Staff Writer WORCESTER — A Hub­bardston couple who allegedly recruited women for “sex parties” are facing felony indictments as part of a statewide effort to combat sex trafficking. Massachusetts Attorney Gen­eral Maura Healey an­nounced this week that Jon Lowell, 45, and Courtney C. Nicholopoulos, 39, with a shared address of 56A Brigham St., Hubbardston, were indicted by a statewide grand jury convened to help put an end to human trafficking in Mass­achusetts. “No little girl grows up wanting to be involved in a life of sexual exploitation. They do not dream about a career selling their bodies as commodities,” Healey said. The AG’s Human Trafficking Division has so far charged 25 people in connection with human trafficking since the Massachusetts antitrafficking law was passed in 2011. Nicholopoulos and Lowell are each indicted on three counts of trafficking a person for sex, and three counts of conspiracy, with their cases split between the Worcester and Middlesex superior courts. The couple allegedly recruited women from multiple towns throughout Mass­achu­setts, including Westminster and Worcester. The women, some of whom were facing desperate financial difficulties, were told they would be paid between $5,000 and $12,000 to have sex with men at the parties, according to court documents. However, Healey alleges, Nicholopoulos kept all of the proceeds for themselves and had no intention of paying the women any of the money that was promised. The couple was arrested in Auburn in July when police were tipped off about a sex party the couple was hosting at the Holiday Inn on Johnson Street in Auburn, according to the police report. Worcester and Auburn police departments worked together and had a female officer work undercover at the party, police report. The female officer sent text messages to the phone number listed in the ad, and through the messages was encouraged to send photos. After doing that she was told via text that she would be paid at least $5,000 for engaging in sex acts at the party, more if she engaged in unprotected sex, according to the police report. The undercover officer confirmed through the texts that the party would be at the hotel. Officers busted up the party that night and found 20 naked and partially naked people in the hotel room engaging in sex acts, according to the report. that, five of the naked people were women, according to the report. Police report that Lowell and Nicholopoulos were the only fully clothed people in the hotel room. The men attending the party told police that they paid a “donation” of between $60 and $100 to get in to the party, according to the report. They men said they were let into the room by Lowell, after initially contacting a woman who is presumed to be Nicholopoulos, the report states. Police report that the couple has a little more than $1,500 in cash, a far cry from the $25,000 that had been promised the five women, assuming each woman was to be paid the minimum $5,000. Nicholopoulos and Lowell are not the only human trafficking suspects indicted in the recent action. Harold J. Lucas, 61, of Lowell was indicted on charges of trafficking in persons for sexual servitude deriving support from prostitution, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Lucas was allegedly supplying women with drugs to coerce them into engaging in sexual acts for his profit. Elena Gaston, (a.k.a. “Dana”), 61, of Revere, and Carlos Velasquez (a.k.a. “Tony”), 49, of Chelsea, were indicted on charges of trafficking in persons for sexual servitude, conspiracy to traffic in persons for sexual servitude, deriving support from prostitution, and money laundering. The couple allegedly ran an online escort service. The Attorney General’s Office has a dedicated Human Traf­ficking Division that focuses on policy, prevention and prosecution. It includes a team of specialized prosecutors, victim advocates and Massachusetts State Police troopers who handle high-impact, multijurisdictional human trafficking investigations and prosecutions across the state. The division also works closely with other state, federal and local agencies and other organizations in the development of policy initiatives and training programs.