A Bronx man is accused of helping move women through a Huntington Station motel as part of an alleged international sex-trafficking ring, following a Suffolk County investigation that quietly unfolded over months. Erick Acevedo, 36, was arrested on Cedar Avenue in the Bronx in early February and charged with third-degree promoting prostitution and fifth-degree conspiracy. Police say women were brought from Brazil, the Dominican Republic and states such as Florida and cycled through rooms at the Rodeway Inn on West Jericho Turnpike. The arrest landed just as Suffolk County officials rolled out tighter rules on hotel record-keeping and hourly rentals meant to make life harder for traffickers.
What police say
Suffolk County Police said Second Precinct officers began watching the Rodeway Inn between March and September 2022 and spotted women they believed could be human-trafficking victims. According to the department, Acevedo was taken into custody at about 10:35 a.m. on Feb. 4 on Cedar Avenue in the Bronx, issued a desk-appearance ticket and scheduled for arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip. Investigators allege Acevedo shuttled women to hotels and collected money from the sex workers, and say the probe is still active.
Multi-agency probe and international ties
Authorities say the case has drawn in several levels of law enforcement. The Suffolk County Police Human Trafficking Investigations Unit is leading the work, with assistance from the NYPD, the FBI and investigators from the Nassau County District Attorney's Office, and officials say the operation has links to the Dominican Republic and Brazil. As reported by Patch, detectives believe suspected victims were brought into Suffolk County over the last three years. News of the arrest broke as county legislators and the county executive moved to tighten hotel regulations aimed at curbing trafficking.
A pattern on Long Island
Prosecutors say the case fits into a broader pattern of trafficking prosecutions on Long Island that have focused on activity in hotels and motels. In a separate case, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office reported that Michael Howell was convicted at trial and, on Sept. 26, 2025, was sentenced to 13 to 29 years in prison for sex-trafficking and related offenses. Investigative work by Newsday has detailed how traffickers frequently rely on budget hotels and hourly-rental rooms, a trend county officials say they are trying to break up.
Legal note
Acevedo is charged with Promoting Prostitution in the Third Degree, a D felony, and Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree, a misdemeanor, and prosecutors still have to prove those allegations in court. As Suffolk County Police put it in their release, “A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.” Detectives say they are continuing to chase leads.
How to report
Authorities are urging anyone who thinks they may have been victimized by this alleged ring, or who has information that could help, to come forward. Detectives ask that tipsters contact the Human Trafficking Unit at 631-854-7512 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS, according to TBR News Media. Officials say past investigations have often turned on information from people willing to pick up the phone.
