Three South Florida Residents Indicted on Federal Sex Trafficking Charges

Law Enforcement Seize www.fosterscareinc.com, an Internet Forum Believed to Facilitate Sex Trafficking

Three South Florida residents face federal charges related to their alleged involvement with a sex trafficking organization. Law enforcement seized a website, www.fosterscareinc.com, which is alleged to have facilitated the sex trafficking.

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI’s Miami Field Office, and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.

William D. Foster, 48, of Delray Beach, Ashleigh Holloway, 36, of Fort Lauderdale, and Hanah Chan, 30, of Delray Beach, were charged in an indictment unsealed yesterday  (Case No. 19-CR-20804). Foster was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, one count of sex trafficking of a minor and by force, fraud, or coercion, and two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion.  Foster, Holloway, and Chan were charged with one count of sex trafficking by fraud and coercion.  Foster and Chan were charged with one count of transportation of an individual for prostitution.

Foster was previously arrested on a criminal complaint, following the execution of three residential search warrants in Delray Beach, Florida.

According to the court record, including allegations contained in a criminal complaint, Foster was the leader of a sex trafficking organization.  A victim was allegedly recruited into Foster’s sex trafficking organization in or around August 2007 as a minor, and was commercially sex trafficked by Foster both as a minor, and then as an adult, from approximately November 2007 through May 2010.

A second victim was allegedly recruited into Foster’s organization and was commercially sex trafficked by Foster from approximately May 2004 through August 2011.

It is alleged that these victims were moved across state lines for purposes of prostitution.  When they were minors, it is alleged Foster arranged for the victims to obtain false identification.  In addition, Foster is alleged to have had sex with the victims on multiple occasions, beginning when they were minors.

The court documents allege that at any given time approximately five to fifteen females lived with, and worked for, Foster.  The females worked at exotic dance venues in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, and engaged in commercial sex at Foster’s direction.  It is alleged that the females were not able to keep any proceeds derived from their prostitution or exotic dancing but instead were compelled to turn over the money to Foster based on his false promises to invest their earnings.  The females also reported incidences of domestic violence while living with Foster. 

The court filings allege that a third victim contacted law enforcement in September 2019 because she was being pressured to engage in commercial sex by Foster and his organization after being flown from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Detroit, Michigan.

Holloway and Chan were charged with Foster in the indictment with sex trafficking by fraud and coercion in connection with the third victim, and Chan and Foster were charged with the transportation of an individual for prostitution in connection with the third victim.

During the course of this investigation, law enforcement identified a website, www.fosterscareinc.com. On November 21, 2019, law enforcement seized the website www.fosterscareinc.com, based on a finding by a U.S. Magistrate Judge that there was probable cause to believe that the website was used, or intended to be used, to commit or facilitate the commission of sex trafficking of children, or by force, fraud, or coercion.  It is alleged that Foster had another individual create the website in order to facilitate the sex trafficking enterprise.

On November 19, 2019, Foster was ordered detained pending trial based on a finding by U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart in West Palm Beach, Florida, that the defendant poses a danger to the community.  Holloway and Chan are scheduled to have their pre-trial detention hearings on December 13, 2019 and to be arraigned on December 19, 2019.

An indictment and criminal complaint are charging documents containing allegations.  All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, HSI Miami Field Office, HSI Detroit Field Office, Florida Office of Financial Regulation, Delray Beach Police Department, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, Hollywood Police Department, Miami-Dade Police Department, and Sebastian Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Mackenzie Duane and Jessica Kahn Obenauf. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter A. Laserna is handling the asset forfeiture aspects of the case.

To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org.  The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages.  The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration or an investigative agency.  Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.

To learn more about the National Resource Hotline visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org.  To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.