- Office of Attorney General Maura Healey
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Emalie Gainey
BOSTON — A Boston man has been indicted on charges of human trafficking, rape and witness intimidation in connection with supplying multiple women with drugs and trafficking them for commercial sex in communities across the state, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.
Hendricks Mario Berdet (aka “Capo,” aka “Supa Capo,” aka “Supa Mario”), age 31, was indicted on Thursday by a Statewide Grand Jury on the charges of Trafficking in Persons for Sexual Servitude (12 counts), Rape (1 count), Deriving Support from Prostitution (10 counts), and Intimidation of a Witness (5 counts).
“Ending the sexual exploitation of human beings is one of my office’s highest priorities,” said AG Healey. “In the midst of a deadly and widespread opioid epidemic, we continue to find individuals preying upon those struggling with addiction.”
Berdet will be arraigned in Suffolk, Middlesex, Hampden and Norfolk Counties, where the AG’s Office alleges the crimes occurred, at later dates.
A Statewide Grand Jury also indicted David Rivera, age 27, for Conspiracy to Traffic Persons for Sexual Servitude (4 counts) in connection with his alleged role in transporting the women for commercial sex.
Berdet was originally arrested on Feb. 14 in Medford by Boston Police and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the AG’s Human Trafficking Division, with assistance from Medford Police and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The AG’s Office began an investigation in November 2016 along with the Boston Police Department’s (BPD) Human Trafficking Unit and HSI after the matter was referred by BPD.
The investigation revealed that Berdet allegedly supplied multiple women with drugs, including heroin and cocaine, in exchange for engaging in commercial sexual activity for his personal profit.
According to authorities, Berdet would allegedly distribute drugs to the women, post advertisements on websites known to advertise sexual services, and transport the women to various homes and hotels in locations including Boston, Brookline, Newton, Springfield and Waltham where they would engage in sexual acts for a fee.
The women allegedly provided all of the money they received for performing commercial sexual acts to Berdet, who required the women to reach a certain quota each night, usually between $1,000 and $1,500. In some cases, Berdet also allegedly took the victims’ identification or bank cards.
These charges are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case is being handled through the AG’s Human Trafficking Division, which focuses on policy, prevention and prosecution and includes a team of specialized prosecutors, victim advocates and Massachusetts State Police troopers who handle high impact, multi-jurisdictional human trafficking investigations and prosecutions across the state. Through the Human Trafficking Division, the AG’s Office has charged more than 30 individuals in connection with human trafficking since the law went into effect in 2012.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Elizabeth K. Keeley, Chief of the AG’s Human Trafficking Division, with assistance from Nikki Antonucci, Chief of the AG’s Victim Services Division. It was investigated by Massachusetts State Police assigned to the AG’s Human Trafficking Division, BPD Human Trafficking Unit, HSI, Investigator Jillian Petruzziello of the AG’s Financial Investigations Division and the AG’s Digital Evidence Lab.
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