Queens woman indicted on sex trafficking and extortion charges tied to Roosevelt Avenue
QUEENS, NY – A 31-year-old Jackson Heights woman has been indicted on multiple charges, including sex trafficking and grand larceny, after prosecutors said she forced women into prostitution and extorted them along Roosevelt Avenue.
Valezka Echeverrias was arraigned Friday on an 11-count indictment charging her with sex trafficking, grand larceny, coercion, and promoting prostitution. Supreme Court Justice Peter Vallone ordered her to return to court on September 18. If convicted of the top count, she faces up to 25 years in prison.
According to court records, between November 2022 and mid-2023, Echeverrias brought a woman from Mexico to New York and then forced her to perform sex acts on Roosevelt Avenue to meet nightly quotas of $800. The victim was instructed to rob clients to meet the quota and was physically assaulted when she failed to comply.
In another case in 2023, Echeverrias allegedly extorted a different woman by forcing her to pay $100 per day while engaging in prostitution on Roosevelt Avenue. The victim was threatened with harm, including being run over by a car or pepper sprayed, if she failed to pay or went to the authorities.
Echeverrias had previously been indicted in November 2024 in connection with trafficking a transgender woman on Roosevelt Avenue and attempting to extort another victim. She has remained in custody since that time.
Assistant District Attorney Felicia Thomas of the Human Trafficking Bureau is prosecuting the case, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Jessica Melton and senior staff.
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Key Points
- Queens woman indicted on 11 counts including sex trafficking and grand larceny
- Victims were forced into prostitution on Roosevelt Avenue under threats and vio