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For two days in mid-January, according to the charges, the victim stayed with Lee at the Pergola Hotel.
By Forum Staff
A Jamaica man and a Hollis woman have been indicted for allegedly forcing a homeless woman into prostitution, setting up sex dates for her in various hotels, as well as private homes and other locations throughout Queens, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz recently announced.
Adam “Damian” Lee, 29, and Ida Copeland, 35, were arraigned last week on 14-count indictment charging them with sex trafficking and promoting prostitution in the second and fourth degree.
Lee is additionally charged with rape in the first and third degree, criminal sexual act in the first and third degree, sexual abuse in the first degree, and assault in the second and third degree.
Katz said that on New Year’s Day, 2022, the 35-year-old woman, who had been staying at the
Floral Park Motor Lodge in Nassau County, informed Copeland, the hotel clerk, that she could no longer afford to stay at the hotel. Shortly after the conversation, Lee appeared at the woman’s room door, identified himself as Copeland’s friend and claimed to have been sent by her. Once inside the room, Lee allegedly told the victim that she now worked for him and ordered her to remove her clothes and put on sexy lingerie. When the woman refused, Lee allegedly pulled out a gun, threatened her and then forced her to take semi-nude photographs to be used for sex advertisements.
Continuing, on Jan. 5, 2022, Lee took the woman to a residence in Queens where a male customer paid him. Lee then waited outside while the customer and the victim were inside the residence.
This customer, however, became angry at one point and refused to let the woman leave. Lee then allegedly broke down the door, grabbed the victim and went to a nearby store to call Copeland, who arrived a short time later and took them to the Casa Azul Blue Hotel on Jamaica Avenue, where they were now living.
Lee left the victim with Copeland while he went to the store. At this time, the victim informed
Copeland that Lee had allegedly assaulted her. Copeland said, ‘That’s Damian for you.’ Copeland then instructed the victim to learn how to deal with Lee and to keep him happy and make his quotas so that he stays happy.
Police officers from the 105th Precinct responded to a 911 call at the location and removed the victim from the Casa Azul Blue Hotel. However, days later, Lee found her and brought her to yet another hotel in Queens.
For two days in mid-January, according to the charges, the victim stayed with Lee at the Pergola Hotel. On the 15 of January, Lee took her to meet with a man for sex. On Jan. 16, Lee allegedly forced the victim to have sex with another man at the Pergola Hotel and the customer paid Lee for the sex. At one point, Lee became angry at the victim and began to destroy the room. In the process, Lee is alleged to have assaulted the victim—punching her in the head and face and causing the woman to sustain a black eye, swelling and bruising. Lee then allegedly sexually assaulted and raped her. The woman managed to call police and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
If convicted, Lee and Copeland face up to 25 years in prison.
