The U.S. Attorney's office has charged eight Portland-area men with transporting women across state lines for prostitution.
The body of Ivy Harris was found in Hawaii last year, four days after she went missing from a bar in Waikiki. Now the U.S. Attorney's office has changed Mark Miles Jr. with transporting her to Hawaii, allegedly for the purpose of prostitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacie Beckerman says traditionally the FBI has targeted those who traffic in children, and who traffic by force, fraud and coercion. But now it's broadening its reach, "The pimps that are targeted in this case purchased Mercedes and Cadillacs and luxury clothing," she said. "And they frequently
The men were found by the FBI's Operation Traffic Stop. They face 10 years in prison and a quarter of a million dollars in fines for each offense.
Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
This story originally appeared on Oregon Public Broadcasting.
