Two Men Charged with Sex Trafficking of Minor Girls

FRESNO, CA—A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Michael Anthony Andrade, 33, and Javier Solis, 28, both of Fresno, charging them with sex trafficking of a minor, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to court documents, Andrade and Solis forced two girls, ages 15 and 17, to prostitute themselves first in Fresno and then in San Luis Obispo. In addition, the 15‑year-old girl was taken to a tattoo parlor in Fresno where the defendants’ nicknames “Dove” and “Joker” were tattooed on her shoulders.

Court documents further reflect the 17-year-old, a runaway, spoke with Fresno Police officers on October 24, 2013, after her mother brought her home from San Luis Obispo. While being interviewed, she told officers about the 15-year-old who was still in San Luis Obispo under the control of the defendants as well as the motel where she was staying. In response, the San Luis Obispo Police Department was contacted, and officers found her.

The federal indictment alleges that the 17-year-old victim was prostituted by the defendants between the dates of October 14 and 24, 2013, and the 15-year-old victim from September 2013 until October 24, 2013.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fresno Police Department, the San Luis Obispo Police Department, and the San Luis Obispo District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Frye and Mia Giacomazzi are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the defendants face 15 years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.