7/17/2015 – OKC, OK — An Oklahoma City woman and four men have been named in a federal indictment alleging their involvement in a child sex trafficking ring operating in the metro.
Sanford Coats, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma announced that Tonya Gay Gum, (aka, ‘Carmen’, aka ‘Lisa’) was the head of a criminal organization that sold girls as young as 14 and 15-years old to ‘Johns’ seeking sex locally.
The four men named in the indictment are alleged to have had sex with the young girls and are currently only being identified by JohnTV as Oklahoma City residents T.N.D., W.M.B., R.D.E., and C.A.A.
Three of the male defendants were arrested last Thursday – R.D.E has yet to be taken into custody.
KFOR News channel 4’s Abby Broyles interviewed JohnTV’s own Brian Bates about this case…
According to court records, Gum maintained numerous ads in the Oklahoma City Yellow Pages phone book for escort services she operated. At least 20 telephone numbers appearing in numerous prostitution related ads have been linked back to Gum.
The identified phone numbers and business names include;
- A Able Angel – 405-948-1533
- A Dark Star – 405-634-8880
- A Latin Amore – 405-321-1582
- A Midnight Fantasy – 405-799-1895
- A Spicy Temptation – 405-720-2422
- Absolute Angels – 405-292-5580
- After hour Fantasy 405-321-2710
- Always Ready 405-672-5252
- An Asian Party 405-844-2666
- Asian Delights 405-685-0110
- Baywatch Beauties 405-235-1556
- Blonde Bombshells 405-787-9111
- Bored Girlfriends 405-292-3019
- Cherry Delite 405-341-2928
- Daytime Dolls 405-376-5755
- Desires Over 30 405-732-4320
- Gals Gone Wild 405-782-0877
- Ladies by Mercedes 405-946-0440
- Peaches & Cream Internationals 405-793-8088
- Private Parties 405-949-2333
Prosecutors allege that Gum was not your typical pimp or sex trafficker. Gum acted as a middleman – maintaining relationships with numerous pimps and sex traffickers in and around Oklahoma City.
Investigators detail how Gum’s criminal organization worked;
“When a prospective customer calls one of [Gum’s] phone numbers, [Gum] arranges a date for that customer based on the customer’s preferences. Much like a dispatcher. [Gum] contacts an escort that fits the customer’s preferences. [Gum] negotiates the length of time, price, and location for a commercial sex transaction with the customer and coordinates with the escort and/or her pimp for availability and scheduling.
After [Gum] has arranged the logistics, the escort’s pimp drives the escort to the customer’s home or a predetermined location for the date, and the escort calls [Gum] to confirm her arrival and start the clock. The pimp waits outside. [Gum] then calls the escort at the end of the agreed upon time period and instructs her to conclude the date.
At the conclusion of the date, the escort leaves the residence or hotel room or commercial space of the customer and calls [Gum] from the car of her pimp to confirm location for the money drop. The pimp then drives the escort to the money drop location, where the escort personally delivers [Gum’s] share of the commercial sex fee to [Gum.] The remaining proceeds are given to the pimp, who controls, secures, guards, maintains, harbors, feeds, and clothes the escort.”
This case is reported to be the result of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (Human Trafficking Unit).
Court records give no specifics as to how Gum’s alleged child sex trafficking organization was discovered or infiltrated. However, court documents hint that a previously arrested pimp and his prostitute may have given up Gum in an effort to reduce their own criminal charges and/or punishment.
In early Oct. 2014 two known pimp/traffickers, we are going to collectively call CI#1 (Confidential Informant #1), and their adult prostitute, we are going to call CI#2, recruited two juvenile females (14 and 15 years old) to prostitute for them. The juveniles are only identified by their birth years (2000 and 1999) and the initials R.W. and M.M. CI#1 and CI#2 had allegedly conducted prostitution related business with Gum in the past.
On Oct. 9, 2014, at around 2:23am, CI#2 sent Gum a partially nude photo of their 14-year old victim (and two other girls) and the two had the following text message exchange;
Gum: What names do you all go by?
CI#2: Red, Sweet Tea, Goddess.
Gum: I will put you all on. Whenever [I] get a call I will call you.
CI#2: Thank you. Turn us on.
Gum: Ok, is the white girl in the red skirt?
CI#2: No, she in a call. She will be out in a minute. Yes.
Gum: Are you all on.
CI#2: Yes.
Gum: Ok, great, I will start calling regulars.
CI#1: Ok, thank you.
UPDATE: JohnTV has learned the identities of the two pimps/traffickers collectively referred to as CI#1 above. Recently discovered court records identify the men as convicted felon and registered sex offender Maurice Morlee Johnson and convicted rapist Hiram Mitchell III. Both men recently pleaded guilty to federal charges of child sex trafficking and are awaiting sentencing.
CI#2 has been identified as Chelsea Alexandra Griffin. Griffin recently pleaded guilty to misrepresenting the facts about Johnson and Mitchell’s conduct towards the two minors in question.
As for the alleged ‘Johns’…
T.N.D.; Court records detail that between Oct. 8, 2014 and Oct. 27, 2014 defendant T.N.D. contacted Gum for the purpose of obtaining a female for commercial sexual relations. Gum is said to have arranged more than one sexual encounter between R.W. and T.N.D. Court records also show T.N.D. had commercial sexual relations with CI#2 at his residence in the 3300 block of N. Walker Ave. in Oklahoma City.
W.M.B.; Court records allege that between Oct. 8, 2014 and Oct. 27, 2014 defendant W.M.B. contacted Gum twice for the purpose of obtaining a female for commercial sexual relations. Gum reportedly dispatched R.W. to W.M.B.’s NW Oklahoma City residence where the two engaged in commercial sexual relations. W.M.B. is also stated to have had commercial sexual relations with CI#2.
R.D.E.; Court records allege that on Oct. 15, 2014 defendant R.D.E. contacted Gum and that Gum dispatched CI#2 and R.W. to R.D.E.’s residence within an apartment complex near W. Memorial Rd. and N. Rockwell Ave. Once there, R.D.E. and R.W. engaged in commercial sexual relations in R.D.E.’s bedroom while CI#2 is said to have taken four photos of R.D.E.’s apartment. No reason was given as to why CI#2 was taking photos.
C.A.A.; Court records allege that on Oct. 25, 2015 defendant C.A.A. contacted Gum and that Gum dispatched CI#1 to take R.W. to a commercial space on Woods and Sons Ave. in Edmond. Once CI#1 and R.W. arrived, C.A.A. drove her to an ATM so he could retrieve some cash for their sexual transaction. However, C.A.A. soon realized he didn’t have his wallet, so he left R.W. with CI#1.
After C.A.A. retrieved his wallet and cash, R.W. and another juvenile (M.M., 15-years old) returned to the commercial space on Woods and Sons Avenue. Once there it is alleged that C.A.A. paid both juveniles to remove their clothes. Prosecutors then allege that C.A.A. engaged in sexual intercourse with M.M. after paying additional money.
Court documents do not specify whether or not the four male defendants requested or knew they were engaging in commercial sex acts with juveniles. Regardless, the age of consent in Oklahoma for sex is 16 years of age. Anyone between the ages of 16 and 17 are automatically considered sex trafficking victims. Those under the age of 16 are automatically considered to be child sex trafficking victims.
All five defendants are federally charged with conspiracy to commit child sex trafficking and child sex trafficking.
If convicted, each defendant faces up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Gum currently rents her residence at 6300 Whispering Grove Drive with her husband (convicted felon Douglas ‘Doug’ Gum of Gum Construction) and at least one young adult male child. JohnTV has been told that Gun has other younger children that are being raised by other family members.
JohnTV has spoken to Gum’s landlord and they tell JohnTV they were unaware of any illegal activities and that the Gums were served with eviction papers the day after authorities served a search warrant on the home.
If you have information about Gum that you want to share with JohnTV, please either comment below or send us an email. You can remain anonymous.
JohnTV readers will recall that in 2013, Oklahoma City Police Detective, FBI task force and OCPD Predator Interdiction Unit member Robert Kemmet publicly stated that “child prostitution in Oklahoma is negligible (aka, insignificant) at best.” This, even though there is mounting evidence daily to the contrary.
JohnTV will continue to follow this case.
* JohnTV readers have been asking why we have not posted a mugshot of Tonya Gum to help in identifying her. Unfortunately, the federal court system does not make mugshots publicly available – unlike state court. When/if we are able to obtain a photo of Tonya Gum, we will post it here. Tony Gum is described as a black female who is 42-years old.
Media Coverage:
- 7/17/2015 – KFOR Ch4 – Prosecutors: Oklahoma woman used Yellow Pages to run prostitution ring. LINK
- 7/18/2015 – NewsOK.com – Five OKC residents accused of child sex trafficking crimes. LINK
Additional Resources:
- The Wyoming Secretary of State has a record showing a Tonya G. Gum as a ‘manager’ for a business filing for Oklahoma City Entertainment, LLC from 3/10/2006. LINK
- Tonya Gay Gum received a traffic violation in Jan. of 2015 for “failure to protect a child under 13 with a seat belt” and listed her home address as 6300 Whispering Grove Dr. in Oklahoma City. LINK
- Tonya G. Gum and Douglas R Gum are currently listed as the owners of a $42,000 home in the 3600 block of SE 15th in Del City, OK. LINK County information lists the contact information for the address as the same address listed above (#2) on Whispering Grove Dr.
- Tonya G. Gum and Douglas R Gum were listed as the owners of a $420,000 home in the 8100 block of NW 129TH PL in Oklahoma City that was repossessed in 2007-2010. LINK
- Tonya G. Gum and Douglas R Gum are both listed as previous owners of a $175,000 property in the 2700 block of NW 45th in Oklahoma City that appears to have fallen into foreclosure. LINK
- Tonya G. Gum and Douglas R Gum are both listed as previous owners of a $50,000 property in the 3800 block of SE 26th in Del City, OK that appears to have fallen into foreclosure. LINK
- Tonya G. Gum and Douglas R Gum are both listed as previous owners of a $86,000 property in the 4300 block of SE 42nd in Del City, OK that appears to have fallen into foreclosure. LINK
- Tonya G. Gum and Douglas R Gum are both listed as previous owners of a $45,000 property in the 3900 block of Teal Dr. in Del City, OK that appears to have fallen into foreclosure. LINK
- In 2006 a Tonya G. Gum was granted a divorce from Douglas R Gum. However, just one month laster the couple was granted an order vacating and setting aside their divorce decree. LINK
- In 2013 Dealers Finance Co, LLC sued a Tonya Gum in Oklahoma County and was awarded monetary judgement. LINK
