A grand jury indicted a man and a woman Thursday on charges of operating an Anchorage prostitution ring.
Troy Edward Williams and Heidi Ross are accused of using deception to recruit "younger vulnerable Native women," then forcing them to engage in prostitution "through emotional manipulation, fear, and physical force," according to a bail memorandum filed by Assistant Attorney General Adam Alexander.
The memo said Williams and Ross forced the women to strip, stand on a chair, and have their hands tied to a hook in the ceiling, after which they were beaten with belts. In other situations, the pair forced the women into ice baths or made them write "I am willing to work" 1,000 times by hand if they seemed reluctant to participate in prostitution, the bail memorandum said.
The women were made to work five to 10 "dates" a day, and the money they earned was taken by Williams and Ross, officials said.
Women who didn't make enough money were "deprived of food and other necessities," the document stated.
The charges come after a lengthy investigation by the Alaska Bureau of Investigation's Special Crimes Investigation Unit.
Williams was indicted on eight counts, and if convicted faces the possibility of 20 to 35 years in jail. Ross was indicted on seven counts, and faces 10 to 25 years, the Department of Law said.
Williams has a long list of previous convictions, eight of which are for felonies, including robbery, burglary and weapons offenses. Ross also has several previous convictions, including for practicing prostitution, soliciting prostitution, a drug charge and several lesser charges.
The state is seeking a $100,000 bail for Williams and a $20,000 bail for Ross. Neither would be able to have any contact with the victims and both would be required to have a third-party custodian.
Neither Williams nor Ross were in custody Friday morning, Law Department officials said. Both have warrants issued for their arrest.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts or their alleged conduct is asked to call the Special Crimes Investigation Unit at 907-269-5611.
Officials with the Department of Law wouldn't comment further on the case Friday morning.