Executive Summary
- Steven Bates, 58, was arrested in Hammond, Louisiana, on charges of human trafficking and money laundering.
- The investigation began as a fire code inspection of businesses Bates claimed were hypnosis centers.
- Authorities allege the businesses were illicit massage parlors where women were living and being trafficked.
- Homeland Security Investigations is assisting local police with the ongoing probe.
HAMMOND, La. — A California man has been arrested and charged with human trafficking and money laundering following a months-long joint investigation by local authorities into suspicious businesses operating in Hammond. Steven Bates, 58, of Farmersville, California, was taken into custody after investigators uncovered evidence suggesting female employees were being trafficked at locations purported to be hypnosis centers.
According to the Hammond Police Department, the inquiry began in June when the Hammond Fire Prevention Bureau scrutinized Bates after he applied for occupational licenses for multiple venues in the city. Fire inspectors reported that Bates claimed to be working as a hypnotist. However, during site inspections, officials discovered female employees dressed in lingerie or scanty clothing who appeared to be residing at the business premises. Authorities noted that the locations appeared to be operating as illicit massage parlors rather than hypnosis clinics.
Tensions escalated during a follow-up inspection when officials found the doors to one business locked. Investigators stated that Bates opened the door to speak with them but physically blocked the entrance, refusing to allow them inside. Following this confrontation, the Fire Prevention Bureau enlisted the assistance of the Hammond Police Department Narcotics Division in November.
Detectives eventually located Bates sitting in a vehicle in the parking lot of one of the businesses. A background check revealed that Bates had active felony arrest warrants from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office for prostitution, pandering, and practicing massage therapy without a license. He was immediately placed under arrest.
Subsequently, agencies executed search warrants at Bates’s businesses. Police reports indicate that investigators recovered evidence of prostitution and money laundering, as well as materials suggesting the female employees had been trafficked from out of state or abroad. The women were taken into protective custody, and their identities are being withheld for their safety.
Bates was booked into the Hammond City Jail on charges including human trafficking, pandering, money laundering, and two counts of prostitution. The case has been referred to Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana Department of Justice. “This is a complicated investigation and additional charges and arrests are anticipated,” said HPD Chief Edwin Bergeron.
Investigative Outlook
The involvement of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and state-level justice officials indicates that this case likely extends beyond local municipal violations, potentially involving a broader interstate or transnational criminal network. The investigative focus has now shifted to the forensic analysis of financial records and digital evidence to dismantle the operational hierarchy of the alleged trafficking ring. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
