MIAMI – A 28-year-old man was arrested Wednesday on multiple charges after he coerced at least two young women into a life of prostitution and then kept the proceeds, authorities announced Thursday.
According to an arrest report, Joshua Joseph Notarianni, of Naples, faces two counts of human trafficking, two counts of deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution and one count of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
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Miami police said they initially responded to the area of 485 Brickell Ave. Wednesday while looking for a 15-year-old who had been reported missing.
Police said officers reviewed surveillance video and saw a female who resembled the missing teen being accompanied by a male.
“Officers recognized the male as Joshua Notarianni and a records check revealed he had an open felony warrant from a previous incident in Collier County,” Miami police Officer Michael Vega said in a news release. “Officers continued to review CCTV footage and identified the unit to which the female and Notarianni had entered.”
According to Vega, two women, ages 20 and 23, exited the unit but Notarianni refused to come outside.
He said officers at the scene heard the sound of the racking of a gun from inside the unit and the two women confirmed to officers that Notarianni was armed.
“When interviewing the two victims, they told officers they were coerced into prostitution by Notarianni,” Vega said in the news release. “He used physical violence to force them to engage in prostitution and then kept the proceeds of the prostitution. Additionally, he kept the victims’ identifications hidden in a locked room that the victims could not access.”
Vega said officers were involved in a standoff with Notarianni for several hours before a patrol supervisor was able to talk him into leaving the gun on the kitchen counter and coming outside.
Vega said Notarianni was then detained and the gun was recovered as evidence.
“The Miami Police Department remains dedicated to protecting all from crime and will work tirelessly to identify and bring offenders to justice,” Vega said. “If you or someone you know was a victim targeted by Notarianni, we urge you to come forward. We thank the State Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking Task Force for their assistance.”
Anyone with information about Notarianni is urged to contact the Miami Police Department’s Special Victims Unit at 305-603-6300. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477. Tipsters may also visit www.crimestoppersmiami.com and select “Give a Tip” or send a text message to 274637. Enter CSMD followed by the tip information and press send.