A 31-year-old Queens woman was arraigned Friday on multiple charges including sex trafficking after prosecutors said she forced a woman into prostitution at a stretch of Roosevelt Avenue known as the "Market of Sweethearts." Valezka Echeverri of Jackson Heights faces 11 counts that include three counts of sex trafficking, two counts of grand larceny and several promoting-prostitution charges, prosecutors said.
According to the Queens District Attorney's office, the alleged scheme began in November 2022 when Echeverri paid for a woman from Mexico to come live with her in New York City and then coerced her into prostitution. Prosecutors said Echeverri demanded a daily quota and extorted as much as $800 a night from the victim, threatening physical beatings if the quota was not met. The DA's office also alleges Echeverri forced the woman to rob some men she serviced so the earnings would meet the extortion amount.
Prosecutors said Echeverri also is charged with extorting and threatening a second victim in 2023, demanding $100 a day for her to engage in prostitution at the Roosevelt Avenue location and threatening to run the woman over with a car if she did not comply or sought police help. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz described human trafficking as a "violent, dehumanizing trade that exploits and destroys lives" and said the defendant is accused of "terrorizing numerous victims along Roosevelt Avenue, forcing them to engage in sex acts and profiting from their misery."
The indictment follows a prior 2024 indictment that accused Echeverri of forcing a transgender woman into prostitution at the same location. Prosecutors said the latest arraignment carries potential penalties that include a maximum of 25 years in prison if convicted on the top counts. Echeverri is next due in court on Sept. 18.
Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights has been identified by law enforcement and local reporting as a site of street-based sex work often referred to by some as the "Market of Sweethearts." The Queens DA's filing did not disclose the identities of the victims, whose cooperation with investigators was described in court documents reviewed by prosecutors.
The charges filed against Echeverri are part of continuing efforts by the Queens District Attorney's office to pursue trafficking and related offenses in the borough. The office said the investigation led to the multi-count indictment and that additional details were presented to a grand jury. The case remains under investigation, and prosecutors asked that anyone with information contact the DA's office.
No plea was entered at the arraignment, and court records did not indicate whether Echeverri has retained counsel. The allegations against Echeverri are accusations; she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.