A 34-year-old Madison Heights woman is facing a stack of felony charges, including running a human trafficking enterprise that caused injury, after police say she trafficked at least one woman across four Oakland and Macomb county communities — often with her own young child nearby. Maya Scott Perry was arraigned in 44th District Court on September 9 on a $250,000 cash or surety bond.
According to The Oakland Press, Perry faces charges of human trafficking enterprise resulting in injury tied to commercial sexual activity, prostitution-transporting a person, prostitution-accepting earnings, capturing or distributing an image of an unclothed person, false report of a felony, and fourth-degree child abuse. Police allege the trafficking activity played out in Madison Heights, Royal Oak, Southfield and Warren. Investigators say Perry frequently engaged in the alleged criminal behavior while her minor child was present, though the child was not found to have been physically harmed or otherwise involved in the alleged criminal activity itself, and is now in the care of a custodial parent.
The case stems from an ongoing investigation into suspected prostitution and human trafficking spanning Oakland and Macomb counties. Metro Detroit outlet WDIV reported that Perry was actually taken into custody back on June 17, 2026 — nearly three months before her formal arraignment in September. Police have not shared additional details on the broader investigation, and investigators say they continue working to identify any additional or potential victims.
A Restructured Unit Behind the Investigation
The case was built by Madison Heights' Special Investigations Unit. The unit handles narcotics, human trafficking, vandalism, blight and liquor or tobacco enforcement, and collaborates with victim services.
That structure isn't new. The Special Investigations Unit was originally reinstated in October 2018 to target vice operations and human trafficking tied to hotels and motels, according to C & G Newspapers. City leaders have also emphasized the need for shared equipment and joint undercover teams to address trafficking that doesn't respect municipal borders.
Part of a Countywide Crackdown
Perry's case lands amid a broader, multi-year push by the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office to root out trafficking rings across the region. The office created a dedicated Trafficking Division in 2021 under Prosecuting Attorney Karen McDonald. By October 2025, that division had filed 73 human trafficking charges — compared to just five such cases charged in the county over the nine years before the unit existed, as Hoodline previously reported in its coverage of a Sterling Heights trafficking case.
Madison Heights itself has seen this kind of case before. Just over a year ago, 33-year-old Gerod Remond Penick was arrested and charged in Madison Heights with human trafficking causing injury and forced prostitution following an incident at a Travelodge motel in Madison Heights — a case Hoodline covered when Penick was arraigned with matching $250,000 bond. Oakland County prosecutors and local police also conducted a four-month multi-municipality investigation into illicit massage businesses, according to C & G Newspapers.
Statewide Numbers and Legal Stakes
The pattern isn't confined to Oakland County. The Michigan Department of Attorney General reports on human trafficking in Michigan.
Under Michigan law, the human trafficking enterprise charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Michigan law also sets penalties for other human trafficking violations. Separately, trafficking cases can raise civil-law issues for victims.
Perry is scheduled for a probable cause conference in 44th District Court on September 18. Police say the investigation remains active, and anyone with information is asked to contact Madison Heights Police Detective Sgt. Shane Bissonett at 248-837-2767.
