SEATTLE — A man accused of being involved in a multi-state sex trafficking scheme that operated in Seattle and Bellevue appeared in federal court Tuesday.
Brandon Washington is accused of trafficking women. Washington, who was arrested on May 2, is charged with two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, coercion and two counts of transportation for the purpose of prostitution.
In the government’s Memorandum in Support of Motion for Detention, pictures posted on social media appear to show a lifestyle of luxury with a Bentley and a jet ski both wrapped in gold, claims of $40,000 spent to furnish a penthouse, and a Seattle apartment that cost more than $4,000 a month to rent. The social media posts are now part of an investigation involving Washington.
"It gave us a lot of clues about how lucrative this business was,” said Nick Brown, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington.
Brown said it showed investigators how Washington recruited women, including two who say they were told to get tattoos with his nickname, Bentley. Both women were allegedly being used in a sex trafficking scheme.
“He was involved in a sex trafficking scheme with very high-end clients, forcing these young women to perform sex acts for strangers, and using force, assault on a regular basis to keep them under his control, and to turn over all their proceeds from this scheme to him,” said Brown.
One woman claimed she was told to sign a contract in blood. A second woman said she was 18, just out of foster care and essentially homeless when she met Washington on Facebook - he promised her a better life.
A report to Bellevue police detailing nearly 100 male visitors at a luxury apartment over a period of two months is what led to an investigation and Washington's arrest.
On Tuesday, he told the judge that he is not a flight risk and he is prepared to go to court and challenge the accusations against him. Washington’s family traveled from out of state to support him. They were in the courtroom when the judge decided that, because of the serious allegations, Washington should be detained pending trial.