First-of-its-kind jail unit in Suffolk County aims to fight human trafficking​on January 25, 2025 at 5:59 am

YAPHANK, Suffolk County (WABC) — A first-of-its-kind anti-human trafficking unit in Suffolk County is working to support victims and put an end to recruitment inside jails.

“We decided to create the first human trafficking unit in any jail or prison in the United States,” said Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr.

Toulon started the unit in 2018.

“We’ve been able to interview almost 7,500 women that have come into our custody,” Toulon said.

But before the interview, there are clues and signs that investigators look for.

For example, tattoos or branding on victims – like a money bag with a dollar sign or a crown over a name, the word “loyalty” and even a barcode.

They also look for drug dependency, bruises from physical abuse, multiple cellphones and hotel keys.

“We have two corrections investigators, one based out of our Riverhead facility and one based out of Yaphank,” said investigative Sgt. Erin Meunkle.

Meunkle heads the anti-human trafficking unit and said they have identified 354 victims.

Laura Mullen, of Central Islip, was one of them.

“It started when I was 12, I was sold by my brother,” Mullen said. “My journey into trafficking was really from birth. My mother was a working girl. She had 10 kids with eight different men. My father was a trafficker or back then we would call him a pimp.”

It’s not just victims that sheriff’s deputies are looking out for. Human trafficking recruitment is also happening inside the jails.

“Female individuals who are incarcerated try to recruit women to work for traffickers,” Toulon said. “We were able to thwart that ring so that these women weren’t further abused or further terrorized while they were in our custody.”

Once the human trafficking victims are released, they’re given additional outside services to help them in their recovery.

Over the past seven years, nearly 200 people in Suffolk County have been charged with human sex trafficking crimes.

“Suffolk county jail, by way of example is a clearing house of information, we got a lot of information crimes in general but also human trafficking as well,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.

As Tierney and his office works to prosecute the traffickers, the unit continues to support victims outside of the jail in court.

“Last year, we had to support two victims that had to get up and testify against their trafficker on the stand which was really difficult you know to sit in front of someone that you’re deathly afraid of and testify,” Meunkle said.

January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month. In partnership with Goya Cares, Eyewitness News is bringing you stories to raise awareness about the issue.

RELATED | Sex trafficking survivor shares story in hopes to raise awareness about trauma, healing for victims

Stacey Sager has more on how on survivor, Maria Trusa, uses her voice to raise awareness about the trauma and healing after sex trafficking.

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