Friday, February 26, 2010

Ex-NBA player wanted for trafficking of minors

By Guillermo Contreras - Express-News

Local and federal authorities are searching for former Spurs player Alvin Robertson, who is wanted in connection with a sex trafficking ring that allegedly forced a 14-year-old girl to have sex with men throughout San Antonio and Corpus Christi.

Authorities announced charges against seven people tied to the ring on Friday morning. Of the seven, Robertson is the only one who hasn't been arrested, said Deputy Ino Badillo, a spokesman for the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.

“We don't know where he is,” Badillo said. “We have ICE (Immigration Custom Enforcement) and other agencies looking for him.”

He said Robertson's girlfriend, Racquel McIntosh, 41, also has been arrested as part of the ring. McIntosh claims she doesn't know where the former Spurs player is, Badillo said.

Robertson, 47, is charged with three offenses: trafficking of persons under 18 for prostitution, sexual assault of a child and sexual performance of a child. McIntosh is charged with sexual performance of a child and trafficking of persons under 18 for prostitution.

The other five people arrested and they charges are:

- Murtuza K. Bhavnagerwala, 36, sexual assault of a child;

- Behzad Mehrinfar, 25, sexual assault of a child;

- Leslie Roy Campbell, 49, trafficking of persons under 18 for prostitution, sexual assault of a child, sexual performance of a child and aggravated kidnapping;

- Marques A. Callaway, 35, aggravated kidnapping; and

- Jack August Zimmerle, 40, sexual assault of a child.

Badillo said investigators believe it was Campbell who kidnapped the girl and held her captive up until the time she escaped in Corpus Christi.

He said the Sheriff's Office Human Trafficking Task Force then began investigating Robertson and the other suspects after the girl came forward to complain she was taken throughout Bexar County to have sex with men in exchange for money. Friday's arrests come after a three-month investigation by the agency.

“The ongoing investigation is an example of the outstanding work that is being done by the Task Force” said Sheriff Amadeo Ortiz in a prepared statement.


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