TEXARKANA, Texas -- Defendants charged with human trafficking in connection with an alleged prostitution operation appeared in court Monday in Bowie County.
Brothers Marcus Lanell Palmer, 33, and Brandon Everett Palmer, 38, appeared before 202nd District Judge John Tidwell for pre-indictment hearings on a charge of continuous trafficking of persons. Brandon Palmer and co-defendant Rashaan "Fashion" Cunningham are charged with aggravated sexual assault in addition to human trafficking.
Cunningham is scheduled to appear before Tidwell later this month. No attorney of record is listed for Cunningham.
Marcus Palmer appeared without a lawyer. He told Tidwell he intends to hire a private attorney.
Brandon Palmer also appeared without representation. He said he isn't sure if he can hire legal counsel on his own, prompting Tidwell to appoint Texarkana lawyer Eric Marks to his case.
Tidwell scheduled the brothers to return to court in May.
The Palmer brothers and Cunningham allegedly have operated a prostitution business in the area "for years," according to a probable cause affidavit.
The affidavit includes summaries of interviews with women listed as Victim 1 through Victim 14, who allege the defendants independently and together forced women into prostitution by exploiting their drug addictions, secretly drugging them and threatening violence against them and their children.
Cunningham, an alleged member of the Bloods street gang, allegedly maintained a number of social media sites that he used to "recruit victims to be sold for sex, advertise victims for sale for sex and recruit customers wanting to purchase sex with victims," according to the affidavit.
An allegedly loyal customer of Cunningham's, Ryan Allan Layne, was arrested on a felony solicitation charge in October in the investigation. Evidence incriminating Cunningham allegedly was obtained from a search of Layne's phone.
Evidence of payments from Layne for sex via cash applications was allegedly discovered as well.
The connection between Cunningham and the Palmer brothers allegedly is evident in social media accounts obtained by law enforcement.
"Affiant found numerous conversations with Brandon Palmer and Marcus Palmer regarding distribution of illegal drugs and messages and conversations that indicate the Palmers cooperate with Cunningham in trafficking victims for sex," the affidavit states.
Some of the alleged victims described being given a drink or a drug they believed to be something else before waking up in another location with no clothes.
"Adult Victim #3 said that Cunningham, Brandon Palmer and Marcus Palmer work together to drug and rape women and to traffic women for sex," the affidavit states. "Adult Victim #3 admitted to having been sold for sex by Cunningham in Texarkana as well as having been taken to Dallas, multiple times, where she was sold in numerous hotels as well as in a 'sex shop.'"
One of the alleged victims reported being required to have sex with suppliers who allegedly provided Cunningham with meth. Cunningham allegedly posted the address where the woman's children live on a prostitution website when their relationship soured.
The last four digits of Cunningham's phone number allegedly spell "PIMP."
A woman identified as Victim 8 reported in December that she was held down and raped by Cunningham and Brandon Palmer in a house on Richmond Road in April or May 2021. She reported that she thought she was in a dating relationship with Marcus Palmer when he dropped her off at the house, so she felt she would be safe there.
The woman allegedly claimed that Cunningham attempted to recruit her into prostitution, which she declined.
"That was when he started getting rude, that's when he started getting mean, he started trying to manhandle and Brandon was right along there with him. Brandon is not good either, and Fashion and Brandon ended up, ended up having their way all because I didn't want to join Fashion's team. I didn't want to sell my body for him to have all the money," the affidavit states.
The woman allegedly reported that before the assault, Brandon Palmer gave her a drink she believes was dosed with some kind of sedative.
Brandon Palmer and Cunningham are charged with aggravated sexual assault in connection with Victim 8. They face five to 99 years or life if convicted of that charge.
All three men face 25 to 99 or life if convicted of continuous trafficking of persons.
Bails for Brandon Palmer and Cunningham total $350,000. Marcus Palmer's bail is set at $250,000.