Suspects from Columbia and West Columbia were among a group who allegedly committed crimes out of a hotel in the Harbison area and were recently arrested as part of an ongoing human trafficking investigation, the state Law Enforcement Division announced.

The latest round of arrests reported as part of the effort are: 

• Rebecca Melanie Perry, 29 of Fayetteville (N.C.), was arrested Dec. 7 and charged with trafficking in persons (victim under 18), first offense.
• Antonio Marquis Nicholson, 32 of West Columbia, was arrested July 26 and charged with four counts of trafficking in persons (victim under 18), first offense.
• Jared H. Pease, 56 of Darlington, was arrested Nov. 9 and charged with three counts of trafficking in persons (victim under 18), first offense.
• Terrell Counts, 32 of Columbia, was arrested May 24 and charged with trafficking in persons (victim under 18), first offense.
• Monesha Tatayana Lapri Gary, 24 of Laurens, was arrested May 11 and charged with four counts of trafficking in persons (victim under 18), first offense.

According to provided arrest warrants, Perry, Nicholson, Counts and Gary subjected victims to a human trafficking operation at the HomeTowne Studios and Suites Columbiana at 350 Columbiana Dr., with Perry having first taken the victim she is accused of trafficking to a hotel in Georgia before bringing them to the HomeTowne in Columbia.

Per the warrants, for each count of trafficking in persons they are charged with, these four defendants did allegedly recruit, entice, solicit, isolate, harbor, transport, provide and obtain a victim under the age of 18, or attempt to do so, bringing victims to the HomeTowne where they were forced to perform commercial sex acts.

The warrants indicate that these activities at the Columbiana HomeTowne occurred between Feb. 18 and 21, Feb. 20 and 27, March 6 and 8, March 19 and 22, March 29 and April 2, April 4 and 8, April 9 and 14, and April 10 and 16.

No location is listed for the human trafficking counts faced by Pease, but the charges were filed in Darlington County. 

Of the local offenders, Perry and Nicholson were still being held at Richland County’s Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center as of Dec. 15, with Perry having a cash bond set at $50,000 and Nicholson having a cash surety bond set at $375,000. Counts and Gary were released on bond, with Counts posting a $50,000 cash surety bond and Gary posting $80,000 in surety bonds; both are required to wear electronic monitoring devices and have no contact with their alleged victims.

Per a release, SLED was assisted in the ongoing investigation by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Columbia Police Department, West Columbia Police Department, Darlington County Sheriff’s Office, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Horry County Sheriff’s Office, Myrtle Beach Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.

The state Attorney General's Office will prosecute the case.