Detroit-area man charged in Oakland County human trafficking investigation

A Michigan man has been charged in connection with the human trafficking of a Saginaw woman.

Marcell Davon Joseph, 24, of Clinton Township, is charged with human trafficking enterprise resulting in injury, prostitution/transporting, prostitution/accepting earnings and domestic violence. If convicted, Joseph faces up to 20 years in prison.

According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, Joseph was accused of trafficking a 28-year-old woman, physically assaulting her multiple times and forcing her to engage in sex acts with other men while refusing to give her any of the money.

Joseph was arrested on March 21 in Madison Heights. He was arraigned the next day and received a $150,000 cash/surety bond.

The sheriff’s office says he was previously convicted of larceny, resisting a police officer and unarmed robbery.

“I am proud of these cooperative efforts with our law enforcement partners that are finding and rescuing people from a torturous situation,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a statement. “We look forward to holding anyone that traffics another human being fully accountable for their actions.”  

A probable cause conference is scheduled for April 2.

Anyone who is a victim of human trafficking or knows someone who is can contact the Common Ground Human Trafficking Crisis Hotline at 248-451-2622, the Oakland County Human Trafficking Task Force at 248-240-3166 or the sheriff’s office dispatch at 248-858-4950.