Cleveland man wanted in Iredell County for human trafficking, sexual servitude charges
Published 5:54 pm Wednesday, November 4, 2020
IREDELL COUNTY — A Cleveland man is wanted by the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office on charges of human trafficking, sexual servitude and other offenses after a woman said he drugged, beat and sexually assaulted her at an eastern Iredell County home.
Warrants have been issued for Akura Laquan Rickett, 40, of 106 JD Lane, for felony first-degree kidnapping, felony human trafficking, felony sexual servitude, six counts of felony assault by strangulation, three counts of felony sell or deliver a controlled substance and habitual misdemeanor assault.
Akura Laquan Rickett
Sheriff Darren Campbell said deputies were called to a local medical facility to a reported assault that stemmed from a domestic violence incident.
Deputies met with the victim and were told she had been sexually assaulted. She told deputies she met Rickett after he bonded her out of jail. The victim said they went to a home where she was held against her will. The offense occurred between Sept. 27 and Oct. 18.
The case was assigned to Detective C. James with the agency’s special victim’s unit. The detective conducted several interviews and gathered evidence.
Rickett has a criminal history that includes assault on a female, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, maintaining a vehicle for the sale of marijuana, felony possession of marijuana, possession of firearm by a felon, communicating threats, carrying a concealed weapon and aiding and abetting armed robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Rickett is asked to call the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office at 704-878-3100 or Crime Stoppers at 704-662-1340.