A 31-year-old woman from Jackson Heights has been charged with running a sex trafficking operation at Queens’ notorious “Market of Sweethearts,” prosecutors announced Monday.
Valezka Echeverrias allegedly forced a woman from Mexico into prostitution along Roosevelt Avenue, extorting up to $800 a night from her, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. The trafficking scheme reportedly began in November 2022 when Echeverrias paid for the woman to come to New York City and then coerced her into prostitution by threatening physical violence if she failed to meet daily quotas.
“This is a brutal and dehumanizing trade that ruins lives,” Katz said. “The defendant is accused of terrorizing multiple victims, forcing them into sex acts, and profiting from their suffering.”
Prosecutors also say Echeverrias pressured the victim to rob clients to meet the demanding quota. Additionally, she faces charges for extorting another woman, demanding $100 daily to work at the same location in 2023. When that victim resisted, Echeverrias allegedly threatened to run her over with a car or retaliate if she sought police help.
This is not Echeverrias’ first legal trouble. In November 2024, she was indicted for forcing a transgender woman into prostitution at the “Market of Sweethearts.”
She was arraigned last Friday on 11 counts, including sex trafficking, grand larceny, and promoting prostitution. If convicted on the most serious charges, Echeverrias could face up to 25 years in prison.
Her next court date is set for September 18.