La Quinta Inn, located at 37-18 Queens Blvd. in Long Island City, where teenage girls were allegedly raped and sex-trafficked (Google Maps)
April 29, 2021 By Ryan Songalia
Two men have been indicted on a long list of charges involving the sex trafficking of teenagers at two Queens hotels.
Lawrence Winslow and Alan Velvett, both 27, face up to life in prison on two indictments for allegedly raping and trafficking their young victims in February.
Winslow and Velvett, in the first indictment, are accused of meeting a 15-year-old girl for sex at the La Quinta Inn at 37-18 Queens Blvd. There, Winslow took semi-photos of the teen and posted them in online advertisements for sex.
The victim was allegedly forced to have sex twice with Winslow before being coerced into having sex with a number of strangers for money. The forced sex work continued after the victim was relocated to the JFK Inn in Jamaica. There, Velvett is alleged to have raped the girl.
The girl was rescued after an undercover police officer responded to the ad, which contained both defendants’ phone numbers. Both suspects were arrested at the hotel.
In the second case, Winslow and Velvett are accused of meeting two girls, aged 13 and 14, at the La Quinta Inn, and taking nude photos of them, and posting them in online advertisements which stated they were “for sale.”
The 14-year-old was allegedly coerced into having sex with the defendants, and one was alleged to have been forced into sex with a stranger.
“This case is the latest example of why I established the Human Trafficking Bureau when I became DA,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, who took office in January 2020.
Charges in the first indictment include kidnapping in the first and second degree, sex trafficking of a child, sex trafficking, compelling prostitution, rape in the first and third degree and other crimes.
The other indictment charges both men with sex trafficking of a child, sex trafficking, promoting prostitution in the first, second and third degree, endangering the welfare of a child, attempted sex trafficking of a child and attempted promoting prostitution in the first and second degree.
Winslow is said to be a resident of Coaldale, Penn., while Velvett is from Jamaica, Queens.
