Miami

Miami Beach Man Accused of Forcing Students Into Prostitution

A Miami Beach man is accused of promising foreign students jobs, but then forcing them into prostitution.

46-year-old Jeffrey Jason Cooper is behind bars without bond and facing federal charges.

Officials said Cooper recruited female students from Kazakhstan through the State Department's Summer Work Travel Program.

It's alleged that Cooper promised false jobs in a fake yoga studio but when the victims got to Miami Beach, investigators said they were advertised for his prostitution and erotic massage enterprise.

Cooper's attorney, Manuel Herrera, explained his client's side of the story: "Two individuals have accused Cooper of engaging in prostitution, forcing them into it. He maintains his innocence and has no knowledge of the allegations of the government."

The Department of Justice said several agencies investigated the case including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service, and the Miami-Dade Police Department.

Cooper was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury this week on charges that include sex trafficking, wire fraud, bringing foreign nationals to the U.S. for prostitution and using a facility to operate a prostitution enterprise, according to the DOJ.

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