Man admits driving undocumented prostitutes

A Hempstead man, who says he has been chauffeuring around 30 undocumented women for the purposes of prostitution, has been arrested by federal agents, according to court papers

Jesus Escobar Garcia, of 26 Maryland Ave., was arraigned Thursday in federal court in Central Islip on a charge of transporting undocumented people in the United States, the papers said.

Garcia told federal agents, who on Thursday raided his home, that for "the past six months, he has been working as a driver for young women who work in prostitution and that he transports these women to various locations to engage in prostitution," according to court papers.

In the past month alone, Garcia told the agents, he worked with 30 different women and he "believes or knows that these women are illegal aliens," according to the papers.

According to a complaint filed by Thomas Kirwin, an agent of the Department of Homeland Security, who specializes in sex trafficking and human smuggling, Garcia said he lived in the house that was raided.

Inside his bedroom, agents found "five or six bags of condoms , stacks of 'business' cards bearing nude or seminude images of women . . . advertising 'delivery' services in Spanish . . . bundles of cash, and what appears to be a ledger of daily earnings from prostitution."

The telephone numbers on the "business" cards belong to Garcia, and he said he answers calls from customers wanting prostitutes, according to the complaint.

The raid and arrest are part of a continuing investigation into prostitution rings that may be bringing women into the United States, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

Garcia was held without bail by Magistrate William Wall.

His attorney, Tracey Gaffey, declined to comment after the arraignment.