LOS ANGELES, CA — A South Los Angeles motel manager has been arrested as part of a major federal investigation targeting an alleged sex trafficking network accused of exploiting women and minors along the city’s Figueroa Corridor.Mukeshkumar Rambhai Ahir, 45, manager of the Stadium Inn & Spa motel, is among 10 defendants arrested in a federal crackdown targeting alleged members and associates of the Hoover Criminal Gang.Federal prosecutors allege Ahir financially benefited from the gang’s alleged sex trafficking operation and attempted to conceal the source of funds through structured cash deposits.
According to prosecutors, Ahir deposited approximately $64,581 between September 2024 and January 2026 that investigators believe came from trafficking-related activities. Authorities also allege he divided deposits into smaller amounts to avoid federal financial reporting requirements.The arrests followed coordinated law enforcement raids on July 1 targeting alleged traffickers operating along the Figueroa Corridor, an area in South Los Angeles that authorities have long identified as a location affected by prostitution and human trafficking.
A 65-count superseding indictment alleges that the criminal operation existed from February 2021 through June 2026 and involved 51 identified victims. Prosecutors added seven new defendants, including individuals facing charges related to racketeering, child sex trafficking, drug trafficking, and money laundering.
Investigators allege the network targeted vulnerable victims, including minors, runaway youth, and children from foster care backgrounds. Prosecutors said victims were allegedly recruited through social media and personal contacts with promises of money, luxury, or protection.Authorities allege victims were later controlled through threats, violence, intimidation, and coercion. Prosecutors said traffickers forced victims to surrender earnings and used physical abuse, humiliation, and drug dependency as methods of control.
Federal officials described the investigation as part of a broader effort to dismantle trafficking networks operating in vulnerable communities.“Sex trafficking of young women and children ranks among the worst criminal offenses our office prosecutes,” said Bill Essayli.Federal prosecutors emphasized that the allegations contained in the indictment are not convictions, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.If convicted of the most serious federal charges, defendants could face mandatory minimum prison sentences of 15 years and potential life imprisonment.