WASHINGTON — Marcus Choice Williams, 36, of Fort Worth, Texas, was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey to 30 years in prison followed by 30 years of supervised release for various felony offenses related to a conspiracy to traffic women for prostitution, the Department of Justice announced. Williams was also ordered to pay $1,100 special assessment fee.
In March 2011, Williams, also known as “Cross Country Redd,” “Redd” and “Marcus Choice,” pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport individuals for prostitution; six counts of transporting individuals for prostitution; one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; two counts of attempted sex trafficking by force; and one count of money laundering. Co-defendants Kenya Thomas, 32, of Plano, Texas, and, Preston Petitt, 45, of Houston, were sentenced in April 2011, to 37 months in prison and 2 years supervised release for their roles in the conspiracy.
Court documents showed that Williams operated an interstate prostitution ring, including adult escort web sites, headquartered in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and operating in Boston and the Washington, D.C. metro area. Williams recruited vulnerable women, specifically single mothers from troubled backgrounds, and, in some cases used a combination of deception, fraud, coercion, threats and physical violence to compel the women to engage in prostitution, requiring each young woman to secure a daily quota of money, and if operating out of town, to wire the funds to him. Williams made thousands of dollars in profits, while the victims received next to nothing.
“The court’s sentence clearly reflects the seriousness of these awful sex trafficking crimes,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The victims suffered physical assaults, sexual abuse and daily degradation all because of this defendant’s greed and callous disregard for them as individuals. We are committed to prosecuting sex traffickers and vindicating victims’ rights, as they were vindicated today.”
“The idea that an individual can be held in captivity by another person and forced to work in the world of prostitution is shocking to most people, and today’s sentence of 30 years in federal prison, shows the seriousness of the defendant’s crimes,” said Sarah R. Saldaña, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. “This office calls upon the public to report any and all suspicious activity which may lead to apprehending and prosecuting those persons engaged in this activity and giving freedom to their victims.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Errin Martin and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Myesha Braden.
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