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Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan Presents September 11th Award to the Southern Middlesex Regional Drug Task Force Award Recognizes the Task Force’s Work in Convicting a Defendant for Human Trafficking Charges

Posted on: December 27, 2017 - 8:01am
DA Presents September 11th Award to the Southern Middlesex Regional Drug Task Force
Left to Right: Marian Ryan, District Attorney; Brian McManus, Sergeant, Woburn Police Department; John Walsh, Detective, Woburn Police Department; Angelo Piazza Jr., Detective, Woburn Police Department; Gregory Post, Detective, Woburn Police Department;

WOBURN – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan has announced that the 2017 Middlesex District Attorney’s September 11th Award was presented to officers representing the Southern Middlesex Regional Task Force in recognition of their work on a joint investigation that led to a human trafficking conviction.

On January 12, 2017, Woburn Police responded to an online advertisement for sexual services at a local hotel. Upon arrival, authorities observed two females exit a vehicle and enter the hotel. While the two females met the undercover police officer in the hotel room, the defendant exited the parking lot and drove onto the highway.

Through their investigation authorities learned that over the course of several months the defendant regularly supplied the two females with heroin and cocaine before and after they performed sexual services for a fee with customers. The defendant would then proceed to keep all of the money earned.

Ultimately, Charles Steed, of Boston, was sentenced to 7-10 years in State Prison after being found guilty by a Middlesex Superior Court Jury of trafficking of a person for sexual servitude and deriving support from prostitution on November 6, 2017.

Members of the Southern Middlesex Regional Drug Task Force from the Medford Police Department, Stoneham Police Department, Wakefield Police Department, Winchester Police Department and Woburn Police Department collaborated in investigating the defendant’s crimes.

This award is presented annually to one or more first responders or investigators for demonstrating extraordinary courage, bravery and/or selflessness in a way that reminds us of the first who responded to the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001.