Monesha Tatayana Lapri Gary, 24, from Clinton, and Rebecca Melanie Perry, 30, from Columbia, have admitted guilt to a human trafficking conspiracy in a federal court in Columbia. The case involved the exploitation of three minors in the commercial sex trade between December 2022 and August 2023.
Court evidence revealed that Gary and Perry collaborated with Antonio Marquis Nicholson and Terrell Counts. They recruited one minor victim at a hotel as a runaway. This victim was transported across state lines for commercial sex work. Nicholson set prices and collected proceeds while Gary communicated with customers and managed transactions.
Two other minors were recruited near a high school and exploited on non-school days. The internet was used to advertise these minors, arrange encounters, and collect money.
The operation maintained strict control over the victims; one minor faced physical assault. Some conspirators carried firearms and distributed drugs around the victims.
Gary and Perry could face life imprisonment, fines up to $250,000, lifetime supervision after imprisonment, and mandatory sex offender registry requirements. They agreed to pay restitution to the victims under a plea agreement.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon accepted their guilty pleas. Sentencing will occur after reviewing a report by the U.S. Probation Office.
Charges against Nicholson and Counts are still pending; they remain innocent until proven guilty.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aiming to reduce violent crime through community collaboration. The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, among others. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Ariyana N. Gore are handling prosecution.