A 37-year-old Dominican woman was charged in Magistrate’s Court yesterday, with three counts of trafficking. 

Sobeyda Garcia Reyes, also known as Sobeyda Scrivens, whose address was listed as West Bay Street, faced one count each of conspiracy to engage in trafficking and trafficking in persons, all alleged to have happened between December 1, 2018 and January 31, 2019. 

Reyes is alleged to have exploited a woman during the time frame in question. 

It is further alleged that between December 16, 2018 and January 31, 2019, she unlawfully withheld the identification papers of her victim. 

She pleaded not guilty to all three charges and was denied bail and opted to have her trial heard in the Magistrate’s Court. 

She was subsequently remanded to the Bahamas Department of Corrections until August 21 at which time she will have a status hearing. 

According to court papers, 11 witnesses appear on the docket – the majority of them police officers.

The U.S. Department of State’s 2019 trafficking in persons report found that The Bahamas maintains its tier one ranking. This, considering it continues to demonstrate “serious and sustained” efforts to combat trafficking.