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Indian-origin motel manager charged in LA sex trafficking case
Prosecutors allege Mukeshkumar Ahir laundered proceeds from a gang-run trafficking operation.
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Malvika Choudhary - Tue, 07, Jul 2026
- 14:25 EDT
- 43
Mukeshkumar Ahir stands handcuffed outside Stadium Inn & Spas after it was raided / dhs.gov
An Indian-origin motel manager was arrested and charged in a sweeping federal sex trafficking case that prosecutors say targeted children and vulnerable young women in Los Angeles.
Mukeshkumar Rambhai Ahir, 45, the manager of the South Los Angeles-based Stadium Inn & Spas motel, was among 10 defendants arrested in the latest phase of a federal operation targeting an alleged gang-run sex trafficking enterprise.
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He is charged with financially benefiting from the Hoover Criminal Gang's alleged trafficking operation and laundering its proceeds.
According to a 65-count superseding indictment returned on June 25 and unsealed on July 1, Ahir allegedly deposited $64,581 in proceeds between September 2024 and January 2026 that he knew were derived from the gang's sex trafficking of children and adults.
Federal prosecutors also allege Ahir engaged in "structuring" by making multiple smaller cash deposits into bank accounts to avoid federal reporting requirements for large cash transactions.
The charges are part of a broader racketeering case in which prosecutors allege members and associates of the Hoover Criminal Gang controlled sex trafficking and prostitution along South Los Angeles' Figueroa Corridor from February 2021 through June 2026. Authorities said the indictment identifies 51 victims impacted by the alleged crimes.
According to prosecutors, the gang recruited vulnerable girls and young women, including minors, through social media and in-person encounters, often targeting those experiencing financial hardship, homelessness, or involvement with the foster care system.
Victims were allegedly lured with promises of a luxurious lifestyle before being subjected to intimidation, violence, coercion, and drug dependency.
The indictment alleges gang members collaborated by renting motel rooms for commercial sex acts, transporting victims, creating online advertisements, and sharing proceeds through payment platforms, while victims were required to surrender all earnings to their traffickers.
The arrests followed a coordinated operation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, the Los Angeles Police Department, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
During the enforcement action, authorities executed more than 20 federal warrants and arrested 10 suspects.
"Sex trafficking of young women and children ranks among the worst criminal offenses our office prosecutes – truly the lowest of the low," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. "We hope today's arrests break the cycle of crime and abuse in one of L.A.'s most notorious human trafficking corridors."
Eddy Wang, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Los Angeles, said the operation dealt "another decisive blow against those who have exploited the vulnerable people of our community."
"As alleged, the individuals associated with the Stadium Inn concealed significant amounts of illicit cash, manipulated business records, and structured deposits across multiple accounts to hide the true source of their income," said Darren Lian, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation's Los Angeles Field Office.
The operation marked the second phase of Operation Broken Blade, launched by HSI in August 2025 to dismantle the Hoover Criminal Gang's alleged trafficking network. Federal officials said the latest action resulted in the arrests of six alleged gang members, Ahir, and three additional defendants charged in separate sex trafficking cases.
If convicted, some of the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
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