Press Release
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California
August 13, 2025
11 Charged in Federal Indictment Alleging Extensive Sex Trafficking of Minors and Young Women Along South L.A.’s Figueroa Corridor
Federal and local law enforcement today arrested six members and associates of the South Los Angeles-based Hoover Criminal Gang in a 31-count indictment that charges them with racketeering conspiracy including sex trafficking of children and adults through force, fraud, or coercion – including runaways and children from the foster care system – on the Figueroa Corridor of Los Angeles, recruiting victims through social media and branding them with tattoos.
Today’s takedown is the first major takedown of a sex trafficking operation on the Figueroa Corridor, which is an area notorious for prostitution.
The following defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act:
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Amaya Armstead, 25, a.k.a. “Lady Duck”, of South Los Angeles, the case’s lead defendant and the de facto leader of the 112 set of the Hoover Criminal Gang and who is accused of sex trafficking a 14-year-old girl;
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Kenyondre Young, 22, a.k.a. “N4”, of South Los Angeles;
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Avery Amoako, 27, a.k.a. “Handz”, of Long Beach;
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Jared Evans, 29, a.k.a. “Jmoney”, of the Mid-City area of Los Angeles;
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Mathew Brooks, 22, a.k.a. “Vermont Star”, of Riverside;
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Derail Robinson, 22, a.k.a. “Popkorn”, of South Los Angeles;
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Jalon Phillips, 22, a.k.a. “Chop Em”, of South Los Angeles;
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Bryan Isrel, 31, a.k.a. “4Loc”, of South Los Angeles;
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Tejohn Gray, 25, a.k.a. “Tiny3”, of South Los Angeles; and
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Tommy Crockham, 30, a.k.a. “Tommy Gunz”, of South Los Angeles.
The defendants are charged with various other crimes, including sex trafficking of minors, sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion; transportation of a minor for sex trafficking; sexual exploitation of a child; drug trafficking conspiracy; money laundering to promote specified unlawful activity; and conspiracy to straw purchase firearms…
“Today’s operation is the first step in returning the Figueroa Corridor – long known as prostitution haven – back to its residents who have suffered for too long while criminals were allowed to run amok,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli..
According to the indictment, from February 2021 to August 2025, the Hoovers largely controlled sex trafficking and prostitution in the Figueroa Corridor of South Los Angeles. Members and associates of the gang acted as pimps to promote and manage sex trafficking. The defendants facilitated each other’s pimping by managing and monitoring their victims, pooling resources to rent several motel rooms for commercial sex dates, disciplining each other’s victims, driving each other’s victims to and from the street where victims solicited commercial sex work, sourcing third parties to create online profiles for sex advertisements, and sending each other money via Cash App and Apple Pay.
Victims were required to remit all proceeds from commercial sex dates to the pimp. A victim who refused or who otherwise disobeyed a pimp faced discipline, including assaults, berating, public humiliation, and withholding of affection, drugs or food. Victims also were branded with tattoos of a defendant’s moniker.
The defendants also worked together to recruit new victims via social media or in person, focusing on vulnerable minor girls and young women, particularly those with financial or emotional struggles or who had run away from home. Pimps also plied their victims with drugs ranging from oxycodone to amphetamines. Victims were recruited via false promises of a luxurious lifestyle, intimidation, and actual or threatened violence…
