New Hampshire Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking of a Minor in Connection with Interstate Prostitution Enterprise

Defendant Charged with Selling Heroin and Prostituting Women and a Minor Girl for His Profit

Steven Tucker, 31, of Manchester, N.H., was charged yesterday in a 3-count indictment in the District of New Hampshire with sex trafficking of a minor, use of a facility of interstate commerce to operate a prostitution enterprise, and maintaining a drug-involved premises.

According to allegations in the indictment, Tucker sold heroin out of his residence and used the internet, cellular telephones, and prepaid debit cards to prostitute women and a minor girl as part of an interstate prostitution enterprise.  According to court documents, Tucker profited from operating the prostitution enterprise.

An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.  If convicted of sex trafficking of a minor, Tucker faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.  Maintaining a drug-involved premises carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, and using a facility of interstate commerce to promote an unlawful activity carries a statutory maximum sentence of 5 years in prison.

The scheduled trial date is set for March 21, 2017.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Manchester Police Department of New Hampshire.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold Huftalen of the District of New Hampshire and Trial Attorney Vasantha Rao of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.