Sacramento Pimp Family Members Plead Guilty to Child Sex Trafficking

SACRAMENTO, CA—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that Tynisha Marie Hornbuckle, 22; Tamrell Rena Hornbuckle, 26; Cherrelle Elizabeth Hornbuckle 25; Latrelle Alicia Hornbuckle, 24; and Tammy Rena Brown, 45, all of Sacramento, pleaded guilty to various counts relating to their involvement in the prostitution of underage females in the Sacramento area.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Innocence Lost Task Force, an interagency task force composed of FBI agents and Sacramento Police and Sheriff’s Department detectives. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Reardon is prosecuting the case.

According to court documents, Tynisha Marie Hornbuckle and Tamrell Rena Hornbuckle pleaded guilty on May 3, 2012 to sex trafficking of children. Cherrelle Elizabeth Hornbuckle pleaded guilty on May 3, 2012 to participating in a sex trafficking venture. Latrelle Alicia Hornbuckle pleaded guilty on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, to tampering with a witness. Tammy Rena Brown pleaded guilty to concealing a felony on April 25, 2012. A sixth defendant, Jacqueline Lanoise Radisha Wade, pleaded guilty to concealing a felony on November 10, 2011.

According to court documents, starting in 2008, the defendants solicited clients for minor females. At that time, a 13-year-old runaway started working as a prostitute for Tynisha Hornbuckle. This victim continued to work for Tynisha Hornbuckle until the defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2011. Tynisha Hornbuckle was also the pimp for at least two other minor victims. Tamrell Hornbuckle was also the pimp for one of the minor victims after she turned 18. There were also at least two adult victims who worked for both Tynisha and Tamrell Hornbuckle.

Tynisha and Tamrell Hornbuckle provided clients for the girls and women, told them when and where to work, and how much to charge. The victims gave the money that they earned as prostitutes to Tynisha and Tamrell. The sisters would drive the girls to meet clients picked them up at the conclusion. These encounters took place at motels or the homes of Tamrell, Cherrelle, or Latrelle Hornbuckle or their mother Tammy Brown’s house. The owner of the home got a cut.

On May 5, 2011, Tamrell and Latrelle Hornbuckle discussed the FBI investigation with one of the victims. In response to the victim’s questions about what she should say if questioned by the FBI, Latrelle Hornbuckle told the victim to lie, and to tell the FBI that she is friends with the defendant, but does not know the rest of the Hornbuckle family. This statement was false. Latrelle Hornbuckle also told the victim that if she were called to testify, she should say nothing. Tamrell and Latrelle Hornbuckle discussed various facts in the case and possible deceptive and false answers the victim could give to the FBI if asked about those facts. For instance, as it concerned a photograph of the victim located on Tamrell Hornbuckle’s phone that was sent to an undercover FBI agent during a prostitution sting, Tamrell and Latrelle Hornbuckle told the victim to tell the FBI that Tamrell had the photograph because the victim had sent it to her and that Tamrell liked girls. In truth, Tamrell Hornbuckle had this photograph of the victim on her phone because she used it to send to potential customers when they inquired about girls who might be available for prostitution services.

Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on July 12, 2012 by United States District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. The remaining defendants are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge England on August 2, 2012. The statutory penalty for sex trafficking of children is 10 years to life in prison and a five-years-to-life term of supervised release requiring registration as a sex offender. The maximum penalty for tampering with a witness is 20 years in prison and a three-year term of supervised release. The maximum penalty for concealing a felony is three years in prison and a one-year term of supervised release. Each conviction also carries a maximum fine of $250,000. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov or call the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California and ask to speak with the PSC coordinator.