A Boston woman, Shakera Pina, also known as "Stacks," has been charged with sex trafficking a minor. The 29-year-old is facing one count of sex trafficking of a minor according to a criminal complaint. She is currently held in state custody on related charges and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
Court documents reveal that on April 7, 2025, law enforcement discovered online advertisements promoting commercial sex with a 15-year-old girl who had been reported missing. A sting operation was conducted on April 9, where officers posed as potential clients to recover the minor. During this operation, they encountered another 15-year-old victim.
It is alleged that text messages found on the second victim's phone indicated Pina instructed her on how to deal with clients and manage earnings from the commercial sex activities. Law enforcement found Pina waiting in her vehicle at the scene of the sting operation.
When approached by officers using emergency lights, Pina allegedly attempted to flee by driving away. Officers identified themselves and ordered her to open the car door, but she reportedly refused and was seen trying to delete evidence from her cell phone. Police then broke her car window and detained her as she allegedly threw two cell phones from her possession.
At the time of this incident, Pina was reportedly on probation for an earlier offense involving an assault in December 2022.
Further investigations revealed that the initially advertised minor was also trafficked by Pina during this period. The victim claimed she was forced into commercial sex work and had to hand over earnings to Pina.
Authorities encourage anyone affected by or aware of commercial sex trafficking or child exploitation to contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov for assistance.
The charge against Pina carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment and could lead up to life imprisonment along with fines up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The announcement came from United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox. The Massachusetts State Police and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office provided significant support in this case which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley from the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit.
Charges detailed are allegations at this stage; Shakera Pina remains presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.
