Erik Christopher Dunham, of Chandler, age 48, has been identified as the person shot and killed by a federal agent on Friday in a Scottsdale shopping center parking lot. Dunham, recently convicted of human trafficking, had failed to appear for his sentencing ob February 21.
Dunham and his partner in crime, Patcharin Koibuchi were convicted for their roles in a multi-state prostitution ring that trafficked women from Thailand.
Dunham and Koibuchi placed advertisements for Thai escorts on Backpage.com.
In 2016, police conducted a “sting” operation and found over $20,000 in cash and four Thai girls. The three other girls were questioned and admitted to being prostitutes for Koibuchi and Dunham. “In exchange for being smuggled out of Thailand and brought to the United States, investigators say the women’s documents were held until their “debt” was repaid by performing sex acts for money,” according to WMBF.