7/29/2014 – Tulsa, OK — A Missouri felon originally charged in Tulsa County court with human sex trafficking has had his state criminal case dropped to make way for a federal indictment.

JohnTV originally reported on 24-year-old Demetric Andreal Jackson back in April after he was arrested by members of the Tulsa Police Department’s Vice Unit.

Jackson was booked into the Tulsa County Jail on complaints that he arranged to have a Missouri woman travel by bus to Tulsa to engage in prostitution for his financial benefit.

The unidentified woman reportedly told police she met Jackson when she responded to an ad he had placed on Backpage.com (most likely an ad looking for young women desperate for money).

After she arrived in Tulsa, the girl said that Jackson rented a room at the Tudor Inn on E. Archer St. and then placed prostitution ads on Backpage.com. The girl claims that Jackson setup ‘dates’ with at least 10 men. The girl said Jackson took more than $1,500 from her – which was all of the money she had been paid by her ‘Johns.’

Jackson was taken into custody on April 9, and charged with felony human trafficking on April 15.

Jackson remained in the Tulsa County Jail on a $200,000 bond until his state case was dismissed on July 8.

Jackson was subsequently federally indicted on three charges; Mann Act violation and two counts of interstate travel and transportation in aid of a racketeering enterprise.

On July 10, according to a press release by the United States Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Oklahoma;

Jackson is charged with transporting a woman from Kansas City, Missouri, to Tulsa, with the intent that the woman engage in prostitution. If convicted, the penalty for the Mann Act is not more than 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and the penalty for the racketeering charge is not more than five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Tulsa Police Department is the investigative agency.

Federal court papers reveal that Jackson often goes by the street name “D” and his victim has only been identified by her initials “K.O.”

The three count federal indictment reads;

Count One; On or about April 9, 2014, in the Northern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, Demetric Andreal Jackson Jr., a/k/a “D”, in and affecting interstate commerce, knowingly transported K.O., a female person known to the Grand Jury, from Kansas City, Missouri, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, with the intent that K.O. engage in prostitution.

Count Two; On or about April 9, 2014, in the Northern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, Demetric Andreal Jackson Jr., a/k/a “D”, traveled in interstate commerce, namely from Missouri to Oklahoma, with the intent to promote, manage, establish, carry on, and facilitate the promotion, management, establishment, and carrying on, of an unlawful activity, that is, a business enterprise involving prostitution in violation of the laws of the State of Oklahoma, and thereafter performed, and attempted to perform, an act to promote, manage, establish, and carry on, and to facilitate the promotion, management, establishment, and carrying on of such unlawful activity.

Count Three; On or about April 9, 2014, in the Northern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, Demetric Andreal Jackson Jr., a/k/a “D”, used facilities in and affecting interstate commerce, namely telephone and Internet services, with the intent to promote, manage, establish, carry on, and facilitate the promotion, management, establishment, and carrying on, of an unlawful activity, that is, a business enterprise involving prostitution in violation of the laws of the State of Oklahoma, and thereafter performed, and attempted to perform, an act to promote, manage, establish, and carry on, and to facilitate the promotion, management, establishment, and carrying on of such unlawful activity.

Jackson was convicted of two counts of forgery last year in Jackson County, Mo.

JohnTV will continue to follow this case.

UPDATE: ‘Missouri man busted in Tulsa pleads guilty to federal human trafficking.’

8/1/2014 – Dallas, TX — Two leaders of a major Dallas based prostitution ring have pleaded guilty to federal charges.

As JohnTV previously reported last year, ‘Operation Flaming Dragon’ was a two-year investigation involving local, state and federal authorities, centered around businesses in Plano, Dallas and Hurst.

Prosecutors contend that the targeted businesses and were nothing more than front for prostitution.

In June of 2013 more than 240 agents from multiple agencies executed 14 state and federal warrants in North Texas that resulted in 20 arrests. In all, nine brothels masquerading as massage parlors were shut down and one private residence in Dallas/Plano was raided.

Child Protective Services reports it removed three children from the Plano house, including a 6 month old boy, and two girls ages five and 15. Around two dozen people with ties to the prostitution ring were arrested. Eleven were charged in a federal indictment.

Two of those federally charged with leadership roles within the criminal organization pleaded guilty this week in a federal courtroom in Plano.

Yu Lin Chang, 38, wore shackles and an ill-fitting black and white stripped jail jumpsuit as she stood before the judge. Chang, through an interpreter, pleaded guilty for her part as a madame overseeing brothels in Plano, Dallas and Hurst. Chang’s lawyer was able to negotiate a plea deal that will only result in Chang being sentenced to up to 48-months in prison.

Court records indicate that Chang was often openly referred to as Quyen Thuc Ha’s wife – though in reality Ha was married to someone else.

Ha, 55, of Richardson owned the brothels and actively assisted Chang.

Ha pleaded guilty to two federal charges of bribery. Ha faces up to 10-years in prison at sentencing.

According to court documents, Ha paid police officers thousands of dollars thinking he was buying protection and leniency. In reality, the law enforcement officers were working with federal investigators to make a case against the criminal organization.

The brothels mostly utilized sites like Backpage.com to both advertise their prostitution services and recruit women into prostitution.

Court paperwork reveals that the brothels transported women from California, Nevada and Georgia to work for up to a month in the Texas brothels. Those who made the most money for the criminal organization were kept longer.

Documents also reveal that the prostitution ring used homes and apartment in Oklahoma City and St. Louis to conduct business.

Seven others involved in the brothels have accepted plea deals with federal prosecutors: Jia-Her Hwang, 66; Prapatson Verhotz, 48; Kim Sey Lau, 57; Yu Qian, 46; Tin Min Lo, 52; Michael Gene Jones, 65; and Li Meng Shank, 43.

Verhotz, Qian and Shank all worked as prostitutes. They were each sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison. Verhotz was also fined $2,000 while Qian was fined $40,000, according to court documents.

Sentencing hearings for the other four are pending.

Federal charges are pending for Lai Iong Chiu and Xia Xu. Several others faced misdemeanor charges in state district court for prostitution.

10/2/2014 – Tulsa, OK — A local pimp was sentenced last Wednesday in federal court for his participation in the sex trafficking of a teenage girl last year in the Tulsa area.

JohnTV has twice previously reported on Tulsa scum bag Damien Dinchie Wardell – first, back in December of 2013, when he was charged in Tulsa County court with felony human trafficking and six counts of contribution to the delinquency of a minor. Again, in Feb. of this year after his state case was dismissed so he could be pursued in Federal Court.

Federally Wardell was charged with once count of sex trafficking a child and one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion.

According to court records, Wardell was found by police (acting on a tip from a juvenile’s mother) to be in the company of four minor females in the Best In Suites in the 7400 block of E. Admiral Pl in Tulsa. The room was later learned to have been rented by Wardell. All of the juveniles had runaway warrants and ranged in ages from 15 to 17 years old.

Investigators claim that Wardell admitted that he knew at least one of the juveniles, a 16-year-old, was prostituting out of the hotel room. He also admitted to providing the young girls with marijuana.

In Wardell’s grand jury indictment it was alleged that Wardell “From on or about Nov. 14, 2013, through on or about Nov. 22, 2013 … knowingly recruited, harbored, enticed, and maintained R.M. … knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that R.M. would be caused to engage in commercial sex acts and had not yet attained the age of 18 year.”

Back in May Wardell pleaded guilty the federal indictment and was sentenced on Sept 24.

At sentencing, Wardell was told he would serve 7.5 years in prison for his crime.

While some may feel justice was served – in JohnTV’s opinion this is yet another example of a failed justice system that would rather see consensual drug users spend longer time in prison than those who sell our young daughters.

Wardell faced up to life in prison – the same sentence he most likely forced upon his young victim who will be scared from this experience forever.

Keep in mind, this was not Wardell’s first run-in with the law.

Court records show that Wardell is a previously convicted felon who served time for separate cases of domestic violence and a dug, firearm, robbery conviction.

Wardell was on probation when he committed his child sex trafficking crimes.

Wardell will be released back into society in less time than many individuals convicted of lesser drug crimes.

11/11/2014 – Washington –  As reported at NBCwashington.com — Last month, a judge sentenced a former D.C. police officer who served as a pimp for two teenage girls to seven years in prison Thursday.

Linwood Barnhill Jr., 48, who resigned from the Metropolitan Police Department after his arrest, pleaded guilty to two counts of pandering a minor and one count of possession of child pornography. After his release from prison, Barnhill will be under 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Police arrested Barnhill Dec. 3 after a search for a missing 16-year-old girl led officers to his apartment. Court records say that over the previous two weeks, Barnhill prepared her for a sexual encounter with a man, preparation that included taking nude and clothed photos of her, but that sexual encounter never happened. The girl told police that she met Barnhill at a mall and he asked her if she would be interested in modeling.

A 15-year-old girl told police that Barnhill set up a sexual encounter for her after he pulled up to her at a bus stop in September 2013 and asked her if she was interested in modeling for him, according to the government’s evidence. Barnhill took nude and clothed photos of her as well, and she engaged in sexual acts with a man in his 40s or 50s in Barnhill’s bedroom, charging documents said. Barnhill allegedly provided condoms for the encounter, collected money from the man and paid the girl a portion.

Barnhill also pulled up to a 17-year-old at a bus stop in October 2013 and asked her if she wanted to model for him, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. He later took photos of her clothed and unclothed and shot video on his phone of her engaged in a sexual act with him.

During a search of Barnhill’s apartment, investigators found 100 to 200 condoms, an officer with the department’s Juvenile Protection Division testified. The officer said the large amount of condoms was in line with something that would be found in a brothel.

The judge said she accepted the light sentence — Barnhill faced a maximum sentence of 24 years — primarily to protect the victims’ privacy, News4’s Mark Segraves reported, but also because Barnhill didn’t abuse his police powers in committing the crimes.

The attorney for one of the teenagers disputed that, saying his client was afraid to testify because more officers could be involved.

“The victim that I represent understood him to be a cop,” attorney William Johnson said. “She actually rode in a car with him, and he pulled a gun from underneath the seat and bragged about being a D.C. police officer.”

12/30/2014 – Washington — A California man pleaded guilty earlier this month in federal court in connection with his ownership and operation of a website dedicated to the promotion of prostitution nationally.

According to court paperwork, 53-year-old Eric Omuro, known as ‘Red’, operated a multi-million dollar prostitution organization out of his Mountain View, CA home.

The website, MyRedBook.com (formerly SFredbook.com) contained hundreds of thousands of blatant advertisements and postings related to the promotion of prostitution throughout the United States and Canada.

Eric Omuro, 53, of California.

Federal prosecutors argued that Omuro, and his female co-defendant Annemarie Lance, 40, of Rocklin, CA, engaged in criminal activity related to the interstate facilitation of prostitution via the USPS and the Internet. Prosecutors also argued that the pair engaged in money laundering to the tune of millions of dollars.

Omuro was arrested on June 25, 2014 following his federal indictment. He was released after his arrest on an unsecured $500,000 bond.

Federal investigators immediately seized Omuro’s domain names MyRedBook.com and SFredbook.com and posted the following ominous notice…

Prosecutors argued that Omuro’s website went beyond the boundaries of free speech and that Omuro actively participated and monetarily enriched himself from the promotion and facilitation of prostitution activities.

MyRedBook.com hosted advertisements for prostitution, complete with explicit pictures, lewd physical descriptions, menus of sexual services, hourly and nightly rates, and customer reviews of the prostitutes’ services.

An archived screen shot of the MyRedBook.com website can be seen below.

The website used acronyms for numerous sex acts, which were defined in graphic detail in the website’s “Terms and Acronyms” section. Although the website could be accessed for free, myredbook.com advertised fees for premier placement of prostitution advertisements and for “VIP Memberships,” which purportedly allowed customers access to “private forums” and heightened capabilities to search reviews of the prostitution services.

In addition to shutting down MyRedBook.com, federal prosecutors also seized more than $5-million in property and cash in Omoro’s possession.

Authorities execute a search warrant on Omuro’s residence.

Omuro pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick of the Northern District of California to using a facility of interstate commerce with the intent to facilitate prostitution.

Lanoce pleded guilty Nov. 20, 2014, for assisting Omuro with the operations.

Omuro’s sentencing is set for March 26, 2015, and Lanoce’s sentencing hearing is set for March 19, 2015.

Click here to read the federal indictment against Omuro and Lanoce.

JohnTV could find no evidence contained within court documents supporting the media hype that MyRedBook.com and its owners knowingly engaged in forced prostitution, child prostitution or human trafficking. In fact, most evidence showed the women who promoted themselves on the website were engaged in consensual prostitution.

Additionally, federal prosecutors have not provided any information as to why MyRedBook.com was targeted while other much larger websites like Backpage.com, Preferred411.com and ECCIE.net have not been targeted for seizure and criminal prosecution.

Below is an assortment of YouTube videos regarding MyRedBook.com…

2/5/2015 – Oklahoma — A Missouri felon, arrested in Oklahoma for human trafficking, has been convicted in Federal court and sentenced to prison (but not much).

JohnTV first reported on, then 24-year-old, Demetric Andreal Jackson back in April of 2014 after he was arrested in Tulsa by members of the Tulsa Police Department’s Vice Unit.

According to court paperwork, Jackson placed an ad on Backpage.com in an attempt to lure a female to Tulsa where he could prostitute her.

An unidentified woman responded to Jackson’s ad and he made arrangements to have her travel by bus from Kansas City, MO. Once she arrived in Tulsa, the woman said Jackson rented a room at the Tudor Inn and posted prostitution ads featuring her online.

The woman told investigators that Jackson setup ‘dates’ with at least 10 men. The woman said she was paid more than $1,500 total from these sexual encounters, but that Jackson had taken all of the money for himself.

Jackson was booked into the Tulsa County Jail on a $200,000 bond.

Within a week of Jackson’s arrest, Tulsa County prosecutors filed felony human trafficking charges against him.

JohnTV next reported on Jackson in July of last year after Tulsa County prosecutors dismissed their human trafficking charges against Jackson so that he could be pursued in federal court.

On July 10, according to a press release by the United States Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Oklahoma;

Jackson is charged with transporting a woman from Kansas City, Missouri, to Tulsa, with the intent that the woman engage in prostitution. If convicted, the penalty for the Mann Act is not more than 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and the penalty for the racketeering charge is not more than five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Tulsa Police Department is the investigative agency.

Federal court papers reveal that Jackson often goes by the street name “D” and his victim has only been identified by her initials “K.O.”

The three count federal indictment reads;

Count One; On or about April 9, 2014, in the Northern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, Demetric Andreal Jackson Jr., a/k/a “D”, in and affecting interstate commerce, knowingly transported K.O., a female person known to the Grand Jury, from Kansas City, Missouri, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, with the intent that K.O. engage in prostitution.

Count Two; On or about April 9, 2014, in the Northern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, Demetric Andreal Jackson Jr., a/k/a “D”, traveled in interstate commerce, namely from Missouri to Oklahoma, with the intent to promote, manage, establish, carry on, and facilitate the promotion, management, establishment, and carrying on, of an unlawful activity, that is, a business enterprise involving prostitution in violation of the laws of the State of Oklahoma, and thereafter performed, and attempted to perform, an act to promote, manage, establish, and carry on, and to facilitate the promotion, management, establishment, and carrying on of such unlawful activity.

Count Three; On or about April 9, 2014, in the Northern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, Demetric Andreal Jackson Jr., a/k/a “D”, used facilities in and affecting interstate commerce, namely telephone and Internet services, with the intent to promote, manage, establish, carry on, and facilitate the promotion, management, establishment, and carrying on, of an unlawful activity, that is, a business enterprise involving prostitution in violation of the laws of the State of Oklahoma, and thereafter performed, and attempted to perform, an act to promote, manage, establish, and carry on, and to facilitate the promotion, management, establishment, and carrying on of such unlawful activity.

In December, Jackson reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors wherein he pleaded guilty to a violation of the Mann Act (count one) and the gov’t agreed to drop the two other charges.

Jackson was sentenced to 21-months for willfully sex trafficking another person. To put that in perspective, that is only 17.5% of the maximum penalty he faced. There is also no mention of having to pay ANY of the up to $250,000 in fines he faced. Upon his release from prison, Jackson will be on supervised probation for three years.

Jackson will also receive credit for all the time he has already spent incarcerated and will be housed in a prison close to his home in Kansas City, MO.

Jackson is NOT required to register as a sex offender.

Remember this light sentence the next time the federal government claims to take the sex trafficking of others seriously.

2/13/2015 – Virginia — A couple out of Iowa have been arrested and criminally charged with the cross-country sex trafficking and torture of a woman for their financial gain after law enforcement was alerted by a vigilant truck driver.

According to a recently filed federal case, Aldair Hodza, 36, and Laura E. Sorensen, 31, abducted a 20-year-old woman in their home state of Iowa in Dec. of last year.

The victim, identified only a “J.B.”, was rescued after a trucker at a Pilot truck stop in New Kent County called police. The truck driver told 911 that he had observed a young adult woman who repeatedly was looking out the window of a tan-colored Sun Voyager R.V. parked near his rig and he feared she was in danger.

The truck driver, whose name was not included in court paperwork, was publicly identified as Kevin Kimmel in an article posted at IJReview.com.

Later the driver witnessed at least one male knock on the R.V.’s and then enter. A few minutes later and the R.V. was visibly “rocking and rolling … it was a no brainer what was going.”

Deputies with the New Kent County Sheriff’s Office responded to the truck stop and found J.B. to extremely frightened, malnourished, quiet with hunched shoulders. J.B. told responding officers that she had been deprived food and water for some time. Investigators say the young victim broke down in tears after being separated from Hodza and Sorensen and begged not to be retuned to the couple.

Hodza and Sorensen claimed they were on a cross-country trip to visit Hodza’s daughter.

The allegations against Hodza and Sorensen are documented in detail in a Feb. 9, federal criminal complaint.

J.B. told investigators that she met Hodza and Sorensen on Dec. 19 in Des Moines and that she was friends with Sorensen’s sister. J.B. claims she was lured into the R.V. after she was told Sorensen’s sister was inside – which she wasn’t.

J.B. said that Hodza and Sorensen gave her alcohol and drugs, had sex with her and refused to let her leave.

The couple told J.B. that she was going to work as a prostitute for them and that if she refused, fled or told police, that they would harm or kill her or her family.

Sorensen then used her cell phone to take photos of J.B. and post prostitution ads on Craigslist.com.

J.B. claims she was first forced to have sex with ‘Johns’ that responded to the online ads for prostitution while in Iowa. J.B. told investigators that Sorensen negotiated the price for sex and collected the money from the ‘Johns.’

All three began traveling to Virginia on Christmas Eve of last year.  J.B. said she was repeatedly forced to prostitute herself so Hodza and Sorensen would have money for gas and food.

J.B. told investigators that she was tortured by the couple and sexually abused. J.B.’s claims were substantiated when health officials found numerous physical injuries that matched J.B.’s recounting of being burned all about her body and having nails driven through her feet.

Officials determined that Hodza and Sorensen would heat up a key on the R.V.’s stove and then push it into various part of her body; abdomen, back and groin. Upon search, keys were located by investigators that appeared discolored from extreme heat.

Health officials noted several puncture wounds on the tops of J.B.’s feet that were consistent with nails being hammered into them.

J.B. also had physical wounds inside her vaginal area that supported her claims of being raped with various objects, including a large flashlight.

When detectives searched the couple’s cell phones they found text messages related to J.B.’s prostitution, nude photos of J.B. and even photos where J.B. appeared restrained and gaged. Another photo appears to show someone spraying Clorox bleach onto an open and bleeding wound on J.B.’s body.

On Feb. 9, Hodza and Sorensen were charged in federal court with sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.

JohnTV will continue to follow this case.

3/15/2015 – Dallas, TX — A Dallas man who traveled to Oklahoma to lure a teen into prostituting for him in various cities throughout Texas pleaded guilty earlier this month in federal court and now faces up to a decade behind bars.

According to a recently posted press release by the FBI, Justin Dishon Brathwaite, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of an individual for the purpose of engaging in prostitution across state lines.

According to federal court records (see below), Brathwaite, in Dallas, contacted a 19-year-old female, in Oklahoma City, after seeing a posting of her’s on Backpage.com. The female, who is identified only as T.C., admits to have been engaging in prostitution of her own free will in Oklahoma, but expressed to Brathwaite her desire to stop.

Brathwaite spoke with T.C. several times over the phone for approximately two weeks. During those conversations Brathwaite told T.C. that she could come live with him in Dallas and that he would take care of her and that she would never have to prostitute again – T.C. agreed.

In May of 2012, Brathwaite drove from Dallas to Oklahoma City and picked up T.C. and took her back to Texas.

Once they arrived in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Brathwaite immediately told T.C. she needed to start prostituting and making money for him. T.C. eventually agreed to work at a strip club and engage in commercial sex acts.

Brathwaite took photos of T.C. and began posting prostitution related ads to Backpage.com advertising T.C. as a hooker. With each encounter, Brathwaite took all the money paid to T.C. by her ‘Johns.’ T.C. told investigators that she was prostituted in Denton, Killeen, Houston and Austin.

On June 12, 2012, members of the Dallas Police Department’s Vice Unit came into contact with T.C. during a sting. T.C. was arrested for prostitution and while being interviewed identified Brathwaite as her pimp and how she was brought to Texas to prostitute for him – the case was then turned over to the FBI for prosecution.

Brathwaite was subsequently indicted in federal court.

Brathwaite has since admitted to his role in knowingly transporting T.C. from Oklahoma to Texas with the intention of forcing her to engage in commercial sex acts.

In Feb. Brathwaite reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors (see below) in which he agreed to plead guilty to the charge. In exchange, the federal government agreed not to file additional criminal charges against Brathwaite and to recommend a prison sentence of no more than 10-years, a fine not to exceed $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, costs of incarceration and supervision and forfeiture of property.

Brathwaite’s sentencing is scheduled for July 1, 2015.

JohnTV will continue to follow this case and update Brathwaite’s formal sentencing details.

Justin Dishon Brathwaite PCA

Justin Dishon Brathwaite Pimp Plea

3/25/2015 (updated 3/26/2015) – OKC, OK — Its becoming pretty routine in Oklahoma County… Law enforcement risks their lives and dedicate expensive resources in an effort to investigate cases of prostitution and human sex trafficking only to have the case fall apart or pleaded out once it gets to the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office. You can read an archive of head shakingly lax sentences against pimps and human traffickers featured on JohnTV at this link.

In this latest example, three individuals were arrested last year and criminally charged with the sexual trafficking of a 17-year-old girl in Oklahoma City. Over the course of eight months, two of the alleged human traffickers had their charges dismissed and another has had his case pled out to a $50 fine.

Below are the details of that case…

According to multiple probable cause affidavits (PCAs); on July 16, 2014, at about 1:30 p.m., agents with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) Human Trafficking Unit and members of the Oklahoma City Police Department’s Vice Unit were investigating suspected human trafficking occurring on the website Backpage.com – JohnTV later learned the sting was officially referred to as “Operation Buzz Kill.”

An undercover agent responded to an ‘escort’ ad posted to the website under ‘adult services’ and a short time later a female arrived at the agents motel room on the NW Expressway. The female was taken into custody after she reportedly offered to engage in specific sex acts in exchange for $200. During the interview process in the hotel room it was learned that the female was only 17-years-old and was a runaway listed on the Nat’l crime database as a sex trafficking victim.

Below is the actual ad law enforcement responded to…

Actual Backpage.com ad used to traffic a local 17-year-old in OKC.

Additional law enforcement agents positioned in the motel parking lot had observed the teen being dropped off by a black male driving a green Cadillac. Officers also noted a white female passenger that remained in the car with the driver. After dropping the teen off, the Cadillac then drove across the street to a Target store. Agents with the OBN confronted the two and placed them in investigative detention.

The driver of the Cadillac was identified as Terry Lawayne Clark Jr., 29, and his passenger was an 18-year-old female identified as Brianna Dale Carpenter.

Terry Clark Jr. as he appears publicly online.

During questioning, Clark reportedly told investigators that he had been called on the phone by Carpenter and that she had asked him to come and pick her and the younger teen up and drop her friend off at the motel. Carpenter told the investigator that he knew the younger teen was going to the motel to engage in prostitution, but that he did not know the girl’s age (how convenient).

Brianna Carpenter as she appears publicly online.

Carpenter was taken back to OBN headquarters and interviewed. During her interview, Carpenter reportedly stated that she had known the younger teen since middle school and that she knew the girl was engaging in prostitution. Carpenter went on to tell investigators that she told Clark the younger teen was meeting ‘a client’ and that if things went bad or if police showed up that could just leave the young girl.

When the 17-year-old victim was interviewed, she told investigators that both she and Carpenter were prostitutes for the same pimp. The young girl also revealed that she and Carpenter are in a competition to see who can make the most money for their pimp.

Phillip Bush Gatson DOC Mugshot.

Further investigation by law enforcement revealed that the young teen and Carpenter were being pimped by local Oklahoma City scumbag Philip (Phillip) Bush Gatson III, aka ‘Young Selo.’ Investigators also identified Carpenter as Gatson’s ‘Bottom Bitch’ – the highest ranking female within a prostitution or human trafficking ring. According to the PCA, “Carpenter took direct action to further the trafficking of the juvenile by arranging for her transportation and supervising her action while knowing that she was a juvenile.”

On July 25, 2014 all three suspects were formally charged in Oklahoma County Court.

Gatson and Carpenter were charged with human trafficking and Clark was charged with transporting a child under the age of 18 for the purpose of prostitution. All three criminal defendant’s bonds were set at $50,000. Additionally, all three were tentatively appointed public defenders at the tax payer’s expense.

Brianna Dale Carpenter; left; posing for a high school selfie. Right; Posing for her human trafficking mugshot.

Two weeks later Carpenter’s charges were dismissed so that ‘justice’ could be pursued in federal court; Carpenter was charged in federal court with “use of a facility in interstate commerce for prostitution of a minor; aiding and abetting. If convicted, Carpenter faced 10-years to life behind bars on the transporting a minor charge and up to three years in prison on the aiding prostitution charge. Carpenter also faced up to $250,000 in fines.

Wow, seems like Carpenter stepped into a big pile of judicial doo-doo… Federal prosecution with up to life in prison and a quarter of a million dollars in fines – now that reflects the often touted public stance of “zero tolerance for those who prey upon our children and sexual exploit them!”

Well, not so fast, as reality often collides with headlines – this was such a case…

After being transferred to federal custody, Carpenter no longer had to worry with coming up with her state mandated $50,000 bond. In the federal courts she was allowed an unsecured $5,000 bond (that means she just had to sign a piece of paper promising to be good and she was released).

And luck kept shining on Carpenter.

In Oct., just three months after Carpenter, as a ‘bottom bitch’ who willingly furthered the prostitution efforts of an underage girl, got the biggest break of her life when U.S. Prosecuting Attorney Sanford C. Coats filed for a motion to dismiss all of the charges against her. That motion was upheld and like that, Carpenter was returned to society with no restrictions, probation, supervision or requirements.

Brianna Carpenter in Jan. of 2015.

Carpenter was not the only predator to receive a lucky break – not by a long shot.

Just last Wednesday, the Oklahoma County DA’s office allowed defendant Clark to plead out his case to a small fine.

On Mar. 18, Assistant Distict Attorney Adam Kallsnick worked out a sweetheart of a deal for a guy who pleaded guilty to taking an underage girl to a hotel so that she could engage in prostitution. According to the court record, Clark was granted a deferred sentence, three-years of probation and ordered to pay a $50 fine. If you’re unfamiliar with what a deferred sentence is, we’ll break it down for you… It means that even though you pled guilty its not considered a conviction. As long as you don’t screw up your probation, then the entire matter can be expunged off your record and its like it never happened.

Deferred sentences are fine in non-violent, non-teen-sex-trafficking cases and are often used for first time offenders. But this wasn’t Clark’s first offense. In fact, this non-conviction, $50 fine encompassed not only this case, but also an entirely different felony case against Clark for grand larceny. Yeah, this turd got a two-for-one deal from our District Attorney’s office.

And, its worse than that. On the same day ADA (and every criminal’s best friend) Kallsnick was pleading Clark out on pimping a teen and grand larceny – off in another courtroom he was also pleading Clark out on DUI, driving while suspended, transporting an open container and driving without an interlock device. In that case Clark received probation, and a $100 fine, a $270 fine and a $120 fine. Yep, the fine for driving with a suspended license is greater than pimping out someone’s 17-year-old daughter.

Terry L. Clark Jr. as he appears online.

This brings us to Gatson, arguably the primary pimp/human trafficker in this case.

On Nov. 19 of last year Gatson was scheduled to appear in court for his preliminary hearing. However, no hearing was held because the Oklahoma County DA’s office dismissed the human trafficking charges against Gatson, noting, “victim failed to appear.” (dismissal was requested and signed off by ADA Kallisnick)

Victims reluctant to testify against their trafficker(s) is an all too familiar occurrence for various reasons; fear, transient lifestyle, threats from their trafficker or their trafficker’s associates, the unnecessarily long time it takes for a case to go to trial (up to three years), and the list goes on. Most importantly though, JohnTV would argue it is the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s offices own pitiful conviction record that most likely contributes to the hesitation (or outright refusal) of a victim to testify.

Why risk your life testifying (snitching) for a prosecution that often lets admitted human traffickers walk free with probation, or $50 fines, or dismissals? JohnTV argues that the DA’s office is doing very little to nothing to try and rectify this problem.

Fortunately, Gatson may still yet face serious prison time. JohnTV has located a federal indictment that was filed one month after Gatson’s state charges were dismissed.

The federal indictment is for a single count of “sex trafficking of a child” that allegedly took place between Jan. of 2009 and July of 2014. The 2014 date is important because it appears to encompass the Carpenter and Clark case above. However, the online federal records are very vague, so it is impossible to know if this case is specifically referencing the sexual trafficking of the 17-year-old mentioned previously. Gatson is known to have pimped many other women. Gatson is currently set for federal trial in May of this year.

Below is a copy of the federal indictment against Gatson…

Phillip Gatson Federal Child Trafficking Indictment.

Gatson is no stranger to prostitution arrests or the threat of federal prosecution.

Gatson was one of 48 arrested in Aug. of 2012 during a joint effort by the FBI, OBN and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Gatson was never criminally charged as a result of that arrest.

As reported by JohnTV, Gatson was arrested again in Jan. of 2013 on a complaint of conspiracy to commit felony human trafficking and aiding and abetting prostitution. As a result,  in Feb. of 2014 (over a year and Lord knows how many victims later) Gatson was charged in Oklahoma County with felony human trafficking and two counts of pandering (pimping). The human trafficking charge was dismissed and on Dec. of last year Gatson was sentenced to five years in prison. Gaston’s five-year sentence was yet another plea agreement orchestrated by ADA Kallsnick and included sentencing on four other felony and one other misdemeanor case.

JohnTV also reported on Gatson in July of 2013 after he was once again arrested, along with 59 others, by the FBI, OBN and OCPD during the annual nationwide sting to target human sex traffickers – referred to as ‘Operation Cross Country.’

In Jan. of 2014 JohnTV reported when Gatson was arrested for child sex trafficking. You can watch a news report regarding that arrest as reported locally by KWTV News9…

Gatson is currently in prison until Oct. of 2018 for convictions that include, concealing stolen property, larceny from a person at night, making false declaration of ownership to a pawn broker, possession of a firearm, rape and pandering (pimping). Gaston only received five years for that laundry list of crimes, and only after he violated the probation he was originally given.

JohnTV will continue to follow this case.

5/7/2015 – Tulsa, OK — A University of Central Oklahoma senior who recently pleaded guilty to operating a brothel out of his Edmond apartment has reportedly been re-arrested and is being detained for possible deportation.

As you will recall, JohnTV was the first to break the story of 24-year-old Ali Hussain Al-Yousuf’s arrest in January after undercover Oklahoma City Vice officers responded to an online prostitution ad and were directed to Al-Yousuf’s apartment.

Once there, the undercover officer was greeted by Al-Yousuf’s girlfriend, 20-year-old Rachel Lauren Herrera, and taken into the apartment’s only bedroom. Herrera then allegedly took off all her clothing, removed a condom from a dresser drawer and collected $150 from the undercover officer.

Rachel Herrera in her apartment as she appears on social media.

The five interesting facts from this case;

1. Sitting in the living room when the undercover officer was greeted by Herrera was Herrera’s 16-year-old sister and Herrera’s seven-month-old daughter.
2. Al-Yousuf was later found to have been hiding in the kitchen’s pantry closet up until the point the undercover officer and backup officers identified themselves.
3. Despite Herrera answering the undercover officer’s initial phone call, meeting him at the door, leading him to the bedroom, getting undressed and collecting his money, she was not taken into custody at the scene. In fact, it was more than two months later before an arrest warrant was even issued for her. However, Al-Yousuf, was taken into custody immediately.
4. Neither Al-Yousuf nor Herrera were charged with felony computer crimes (even though EVERY OTHER Internet related act of prostitution suspect is) and neither were charged with child endangerment or contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
5. Despite Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater’s professed zero tolerance for pimps – and Al-Yousuf’s guilty plea – Al-Yousuf was only sentenced to two years probation, no permanent criminal record and a small fine.

Rachel Herrera, Daughter, and Ali Al-Yousuf as posted publicly on social media.

When Al-Yousuf was arrested, he was listed as an industrial safety technology/technician major at UCO and set to graduate this year (according to Al-Yousuf’s now deleted LinkedIn profile).

Satirical poster by JohnTV of Ali Al Yousuf pimping related charges.

Almost two and a half months later, Al-Yousuf was officially criminally charged with misdemeanor maintaining a house of prostitution and aiding and abetting prostitution. At the time of Al-Yousuf’s plea deal JohnTV wondered out loud as to why he was given so many breaks by prosecutors.

Well, now we think we know why. Not only does the Oklahoma County DA’s office have a soft spot for pimps, but they apparently have a weakness for not wanting to see pimps deported back to their country of origin (in this case, most likely, Saudi Arabia).

A few days ago JohnTV received a tip that Al-Yousuf had been arrested by the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office on a federal hold for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and was being held without bond.

JohnTV made some calls, and sure enough, on April 30 at around 5 p.m., Al-Yousuf was indeed taken into custody.

JohnTV made some additional calls and inquiries and was told by an individual close to Al-Yousuf’s prosecution that Al-Yousuf’s immigration status was indeed a contributing factor as to why he was treated with such kid gloves. In fact, the DA’s office was apparently made aware that if Al-Yousuf received a conviction (as opposed to the deferred he got) that it would almost assure his deportation.

Fortunately, at least for now, it appears federal immigration doesn’t take the same hug-a-thug mentality the Oklahoma County DA’s office does.

JohnTV spoke with a representative of the Tulsa County Detention Center and they were unable to confirm any additional information other than, “since he’s here on a federal hold for ICE, there is a good chance he faces the real possibility of deportation.”

I know what some of you bleeding heart liberals are thinking…. “But what about the poor prostitute girlfriend and their seven month old child? You can’t deport her pimp boyfriend. Herrera has to be torn apart at the thought of loosing her pimp with a heart of gold….”

Yeah, not so fast…. Rachel posted this photo just a few hours ago publicly on her social media account….

Rachel Herrera as posted publicly on social media.

I’d say she’s ‘perked up’ since Al-Yousuf’s arrest and appears to be less than all broken up about it.

The pic above doesn’t look that much different from this pic (left) that was posted just three days before her pimp’s boyfriend’s arrest.

As for Herrera’s legal woes… She is charged with one misdemeanor count of offering to engage in prostitution. That in itself is a huge act of prosecutorial discretion in her favor. In reality she avoided arrest at the scene, avoided having DHS come and take her child, and then avoided charges of child endangerment and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Not to mention that for years now, every individual arrested for an Internet related act of prostitution is charged with felony computer crimes (but not hot little Edmond girls apparently). And the favors didn’t stop there. Anyone familiar with the Oklahoma County court system knows that if you post bail after your arrest, there is little chance you will be granted a tax payer funded public defender (the thought process being – if you can afford to be out on bail, then you can afford to make payments to a lawyer). Well, according to court records, Herrera posted bond through a bondsman and immediately was allowed to apply for a free public defender. Now the record doesn’t show whether or not she has been granted a free lawyer – but when it does, we will let you know.

According to Herrera’s online postings, she should be able to pay to for her own attorney and is currently employed by ULTA as a ‘beauty advisor.’

Herrera could always sell her designer bags and jewelry to pay for her own lawyer…. But why do that when we have a court system that apparently hands them out like candy…

Herrera is next scheduled to appear in court on May 21.

This probably explains why Al-YouSuf didn’t go the public defender route and instead hired Marco Palumbo (aka, ‘the California Switch Blade’ – don’t ask, it makes our head hurt). Had Al-Yousuf gone the free lawyer route, he most assuredly would not have been able to get his case over in a single appearance and thus lessen the chance of federal immigration intervention.

Kinda makes you wonder how the feds were tipped off to Al-Yousuf’s pimping activities doesn’t it? Hmmm, JohnTV wouldn’t know anything about that.

It goes without saying, we will be following up on this case.

Rachel Herrera and Ali Al-Yousuf as they appear publicly on social media.

7/24/2015 – OKC, OK — JohnTV’s own Video Vigilante Brian Bates distributed fliers in an upscale NW Oklahoma City neighborhood; warning residents that an accused child sex trafficker is renting a home in their addition.

Last Friday JohnTV reported on the federal indictment against Tonya Gay Gum. Prosecutors allege that Gum acted as a child trafficker – selling girls as young as 14-years old to men in Oklahoma City and Edmond seeking sex.

Gum, 43, is currently out on an unsecured bond, under house arrest and has been provided with a tax-payer funded public defender.

Wednesday afternoon Bates printed and distributed over 100 fliers to Gum’s neighbors – putting them on notice as to the serious allegations against her (see actual flier, bottom of article).

KWTV News9’s own Lisa Monahan reported on Bates’ efforts…

Court records show that Gum lives in SW OKC, near Mustang, at 6300 Whispering Grove Dr. in the Bentwood Creek addition.

County assessor records show the house to be worth $320,000 and not owned by the Gums.

JohnTV spoke to the home’s owners – who were totally unaware of their renter’s alleged criminal activity prior to Gum’s arrest – and they tell us the Gum’s have been served with an eviction notice.

Tonya Gum is currently residing with her husband, Douglas ‘Doug’ Gum of Gum Construction, and at least one adult child.

Doug Gum approached Bates in his truck while Bates was handing out fliers.

According to Bates, Doug Gum pulled up and asked what he was doing. When Bates said he was putting fliers up on people’s doors, Gum asked if he could have one. Gum refused to give his name when Bates asked. That is when Bates recognized Gum from his DOC mugshot and addressed him by name. Gum then sped away, only to return and circle Bates while staring at him several times.

If convicted, Tonya Gum faces up to life in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.

If you have any information on the Gums, please contact JohnTV.

JohnTV will continue to follow this case.

This marks the fourth time JohnTV has distributed fliers in the neighborhoods where alleged pimps and sex traffickers live.

1. 5/17/2012 – JohnTV vs. now convicted OKC pimp Germaine Coulter. LINK
2. 1/21/2014 – JohnTV vs. alleged OKC pimp Gregory ‘Pig’ Crawford. LINK
3. 5/19/2015 – JohnTV vs. accused madam Penny Melton. LINK

7/31/2015 – The customers of a Oklahoma City woman accused of child sex trafficking have been identified. As JohnTV previously reported, 42-year-old Tonya Gay Gum has been charged in federal court with conspiracy to commit child sex trafficking and child sex trafficking.

Four of Gum’s alleged male customers (aka, ‘Johns’) have also been federally charged with the same crimes and have been identified as;

1. Trung N. Duong, identified as a resident of Oklahoma City. Said to have contacted Gum on more than one occasion between Oct. 8 and Oct. 27 of 2014 and that on more than one occasion one of the juveniles was transported to him at his residence in the 3300 block on N. Walker Ave. in OKC. It is also alleged that an adult human trafficking victim was also provided to Duong for commercial sex.
2. William M. Baker, identified as a resident of Oklahoma City. Said to have contacted Gum on Oct. 18, 2014 and that on one occasion one of the female juveniles was transported to him at his residence in the 4000 block of NW 33rd Street in OKC. It is also alleged that an adult human trafficking victim was also provided to Baker for commercial sex.
3. Russell D. Ehrens, identified as a resident of Oklahoma City. Said to have contacted Gum on Oct. 15, 2014 and that one of the juveniles was transported to his apartment in the 14100 block of N. Rockwell Ave. in OKC.
4. Curtis A. Anthony, identified as a resident of Oklahoma City. Said to have contacted Gum on Oct. 25, 2014 and that both juvenile females were transported to a commercial location at 4455 Woods and Sons in Edmond, OK. Prosecutors allege that Anthony paid for both juveniles to take off their clothes in his presence. It is then alleged that Anthony paid to engage in sex with one of the juveniles.

According to the federal indictment, all five defendants;

“knowingly combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed with each other and with others known and unknown to the Federal Grand Jury, to knowingly, in and affecting interstate commerce, recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, obtain, and maintain, by any means, a person or persons, minor(s) who had not attained the age of 18 years, and benefit, financially and by receiving anything of value, from participation in a venture which recruited said person(s), knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that such person or persons had not attained the age of 18 years and having a reasonable opportunity to observe such person or persons would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act…”

You can read more details regarding the charges against Gum and the four male defendants in JohnTV’s original article. LINK

Prosecutors allege that Gum’s recruitment of two girls – ages 14 and 15 – and the ‘Johns’ sexual contact with the girls all happened in Oct. of 2014.

No information in the court records shows that the alleged Johns requested an underage girl from Gum nor knew that the girls were under age.

Federal prosecutors have announced that they plan to seize the homes and/or commercial properties of the ‘Johns’ where these alleged child sex trafficking acts took place.

This alleged case of child sex trafficking came to light after two Oklahoma scum bag child traffickers were arrested and began providing information to federal authorities in hopes of reducing their sentences after recently pleading guilty to similar crimes. Those child traffickers have been identified as convicted felon and registered sex offender Maurice Morlee Johnson and convicted rapist Hiram Mitchell III.

According to publicly available court records, Johnson and Mitchell made contact with Gum and offered the two juveniles for prostitution services. After Gum agreed, it is alleged that Gum would take the calls from her customers and then contact Johnson or Mitchell. Johnson and/or Mitchell would then transport one or both of the juveniles to the ‘Johns’ so that the juveniles could engage in prostitution with them. Johnson and/or Mitchell would then collect the girls and meet with Gum or one of her associates to drop off Gum’s portion of the proceeds.

JohnTV will continue to follow this case.

7/31/2015 – The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Western District of Oklahoma is upset that JohnTV.com published the identities of two confessed child sex traffickers – so much so that Assistant U.S. Attorneys K. McKenzie Anderson and Julia E. Barry have filed a ‘Motion for Protective Order’ to try and ‘protect’ their identities from further discovery and publication. So desperate is the U.S. Attorney’s office to protect these scum that they are trying to justify their motion by citing the case of The United States of America vs. Osama Bin Laden (seriously, you can’t make this up).

All of which gets even more humorous when one realizes that its the U.S. Attorney’s office that actually first publicly released the names of the scumbags they are now trying to protect.

Earlier this month JohnTV reported on an alleged child sex trafficking case by Tonya Gay Gum of Oklahoma City and her four co-defendants. All of which are alleged to have actively participated in the sexual trafficking of two young girls – ages 14 and 15 years old.

Through JohnTV’s research of the facts surrounding the case, we came upon (and subsequently published) the identities of two individuals that had previously only been identified in court papers by the U.S. Attorney’s office as ‘Cooperating Witnesses.’

You can see the federal court document below. A third ‘cooperating witness’s’ name has been redacted by JohnTV because she is also identified as a human trafficking victim (click images for larger version)…

Previously publicly available document identifying Johnson and Mitchell (pg. 1/2).

Previously publicly available document identifying Johnson and Mitchell (pg. 2/2).

In this case, the term ‘Cooperating Witness’ is just a bunch of undeserved fluff for what everyone else would describe as child predators who were only witness to the very crimes they themselves were engaged in. As to ‘cooperating’…. They are only cooperating inasmuch as they hope their snitching will get them a lighter prison sentence.

The two cooperating snitch scumbag trafficker witnesses are convicted felon and registered sex offender Maurice Morlee Johnson and convicted rapist (and former Pottawatomie County jail detention officer) Hiram Mitchell III (see DOC records below). Both of which have already pleaded guilty to the sexual trafficking of one or both of the juveniles involved in the Gum case and are awaiting sentencing. You can read the federal child sex trafficking indictment against Johnson and Mitchell at the bottom of this page.

After discovering the ‘cooperating witnesses’ names (in a publicly available court record), JohnTV did what JohnTV does and has done for almost 20-years – We very publicly and unapologetically outed the offenders.

The U.S. Attorney’s response? To cowardly have another state law enforcement agency contact JohnTV’s founder Brian Bates and try to convince him to remove the scumbag cooperating witnesses names from our reporting. JohnTV’s response? Not gonna happen.

So, the U.S. Attorney’s office went to Plan B and filed a formal motion with the court  to obtain a protective order sealing the records containing the scumbag cooperating witnesses identities and forbidding anyone directly involved in the case from sharing the scumbag cooperating witnesses names, photographs, etc. with anyone else – specifically members of the media and activist groups like JohnTV.

To make their argument, the U.S. Attorney’s office gave a laundry list of precedence regarding protecting the identities of crime victims and even referenced U.S.A. vs. Osama Bin Laden (no. 98-CR-1023, 2001 WL 66393) – specifically – the disclosure of cooperating witness and victim identities would “jeopardize the ongoing Government investigation into the activities of alleged associates of the Defendants.”

The two major points the U.S. Attorney’s office is apparently trying to make is that sealing the names of the scumbag cooperating witnesses and victims will…

1. Protect the privacy of the two juvenile victims.
2. Protect the safety of the two scumbag cooperating witnesses.

Lets get this out of the way right now… JohnTV has zero issue with the names of the victims in this, or any other human sex trafficking case, being kept private. That being said, to try and use that line of thought to justify giving ‘protection’ or anonymity to scumbag child sex traffickers is unfathomable and a slap in the face to every child and adult victim of sexual trafficking out there.

The U.S. Attorney’s office argues that releasing the names of the two scumbag cooperating witnesses will somehow reveal the identity of the juvenile victims, jeopardize their ongoing investigation and discourage other criminals from snitching out their co-conspirators.

JohnTV calls bullshit on all of those assertions.

The government and law enforcement agencies routinely and boastfully release the names of accused pimps and sex traffickers on a regular basis without concern for the victims (because there is no justifiable concern).  Both Johnson and Mitchell are in custody and have been for some time – so their participation in the snitching investigation is over. Lastly, criminals couldn’t care less if their names are published in the media or to websites like JohnTV. They cooperated for one reason and one reason only – to try and reduce their prison sentence (both are facing life).

JohnTV will continue to follow this case and will continue to shine a spotlight on the offenders and their identity.

UPDATE: 8/6/2015 – JohnTV just checked online court records and it appears the gov’t was successful in sealing the previously public records identifying cooperating scumbag snitch witnesses Johnson and Mitchell. Guess its a good thing we made copies of those records before they were sealed!

Related JohnTV Articles

1. 7/19/2015 – JohnTV – Tonya Gum of OKC accused of running child sex trafficking ring; Five indicted. LINK
2. 7/24/2015 – JohnTV – JohnTV puts NW OKC neighborhood on notice of child sex trafficker living in their neighborhood. LINK
3. 7/31/2015 – JohnTV – Alleged ‘Johns’ identified in Tonya Gum federal child trafficking case. LINK

Additional Resources

1. 7/17/2004 – NewsOK – ‘Ex-jailers charged in alleged assaults of inmates…’ – Mitchell charged with forcible sodomy upon a female inmate while he was working as a detention officer. LINK
2. State of Oklahoma vs. Hiram Mitchell III (2004 sodomy charge) LINK
3. State of Oklahoma vs. Maurice Morlee Johnson (2001 firearms charge) LINK
4. State of Oklahoma vs. Maurice Morlee Johnson (2009 failure to comply with sex offender registration act charge) LINK
5. State of Oklahoma vs. Maurice Morlee Johnson (2012 possession of cocaine charge) LINK

Below is the Federal Child Sex Trafficking Case Against Johnson and Mitchell. They Have Already Pleaded Guilty.
(If the .pdf does not appear below, refresh your screen. Click for larger version.)

Maurice Johnson Indictment

8/19/2015 – Longtime star pitchman for the Subway sandwich chain, Jared Fogle, will reportedly plead guilty in federal court to paying to have sex with children and possession child pornography.

The announcement came today from Fogle’s lawyer Jeremy Margolis.

JohnTV first reported on the FBI investigation into Fogle earlier this month.

Fogle, of Zionsville, Ind., appeared in an Indianapolis court today on charges of paying to have sex with minors and both receiving and distributing child pornography. Under a plea deal, Fogle agrees to a prison sentence of not less than five years and no more than 12.

A federal judge still has to agree to the deal before it can become official.

Subway announced in a Tweet Tuesday night that it had cut all ties with their former golden boy.

Subway’s “no further comment” Tweet was followed by today’s… ummmm, “comment”…

Fogle has specifically agreed to plead guilty to one count of child pornography and one count of traveling to engage in commercial sexual acts with minors.

According to court records unsealed today, Fogle had an increasing appetite to both view and engage in sex acts with children. Fogle’s co-conspirator was officially identified as Russell Taylor – the former executive director of Fogle’s charitable foundation, Jared’s Foundation. Taylor was previously arrested on child pornography charges and made a failed suicide attempt while in custody. Taylor was formally charged in May with seven counts of producing child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

Court records against Fogle and Taylor identify at least 14 minor victims that were secretly video recorded in various states of undress and “other sexually explicit conduct” while in Taylor’s current or former residence between March 2011 and Jan. 2015. Much of the footage was obtained through the use of cameras hidden in ordinary items like clock radios. Taylor shared these videos with Fogle. Fogle is said have expressed approval of Taylor’s actions.

The youngest victim is reported to be only 13-years old.

In addition to the sexually explicit videos Taylor produced and shared with Fogle, Taylor is also said to have shared sexually explicit media produced by a third party. Those images and videos contained victims as young six years old.

Starting in 2010, Fogle traveled out-of-state on multiple occasions for the purpose of engaging in commercial sexual activity with minors he met online.

In November of 2012, Fogle traveled to New York and paid to have sex with a minor at the Plaza Hotel. The next day Fogle sent text messages to the young girl stating that he would pay her a finder’s fee if she could introduce him to other girls – “the younger the girl, the better.”

In January of 2013, Fogle again traveled to New York and paid to have sex with a different minor in exchange for money. This human sex trafficking crime occurred at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Fogle is said to have also engaged in prostitution related sex with other women. After doing so, and thus being certain they were not undercover police officers, he would offer them finder’s fees if they could set him up with girls as young as 14-years-old.

Federal authorities outside of Fogle’s residence in July of 2015.

As part of Fogle’s plea agreement, and in addition to serving prison time, Fogle has also agreed to pay $1.4-million in restitution to his 14 minor victims, register as a sex offender and meet other conditions.

“Jared Fogle is agreeing to plead guilty to the charges filed against him today. In doing so, Jared is accepting responsibility for what he has done,” Fogle’s lawyer said in a statement. “[Fogle] is also volunteering to make restitution to those affected by his deplorable behavior. While Jared fully recognizes that such monetary contribution will not undo the harm he has caused, he is hopeful it will assist these individuals as they try to move forward with their lives.

Fogle’s second and current wife, Katie Fogle, has publicly stated that she is seeking a divorce. The two have been married since 2010 and have two children together.

JohnTV will continue to follow this case and report back on the formal sentencing.

Supporting Material

Below is the federal indictment against Jared Fogle. If the document is not appearing below, please refresh your browser or click the caption link below.

Jared Fogle Federal Indictment

Below is Jared Fogle’s plea agreement. If the document is not appearing below, please refresh your browser or click the caption link below.

Jared Fogle Plea Agreement

11/11/2014 – Washington –  As reported at NBCwashington.com — Last month, a judge sentenced a former D.C. police officer who served as a pimp for two teenage girls to seven years in prison Thursday.

Linwood Barnhill Jr., 48, who resigned from the Metropolitan Police Department after his arrest, pleaded guilty to two counts of pandering a minor and one count of possession of child pornography. After his release from prison, Barnhill will be under 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Police arrested Barnhill Dec. 3 after a search for a missing 16-year-old girl led officers to his apartment. Court records say that over the previous two weeks, Barnhill prepared her for a sexual encounter with a man, preparation that included taking nude and clothed photos of her, but that sexual encounter never happened. The girl told police that she met Barnhill at a mall and he asked her if she would be interested in modeling.

A 15-year-old girl told police that Barnhill set up a sexual encounter for her after he pulled up to her at a bus stop in September 2013 and asked her if she was interested in modeling for him, according to the government’s evidence. Barnhill took nude and clothed photos of her as well, and she engaged in sexual acts with a man in his 40s or 50s in Barnhill’s bedroom, charging documents said. Barnhill allegedly provided condoms for the encounter, collected money from the man and paid the girl a portion.

Barnhill also pulled up to a 17-year-old at a bus stop in October 2013 and asked her if she wanted to model for him, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. He later took photos of her clothed and unclothed and shot video on his phone of her engaged in a sexual act with him.

During a search of Barnhill’s apartment, investigators found 100 to 200 condoms, an officer with the department’s Juvenile Protection Division testified. The officer said the large amount of condoms was in line with something that would be found in a brothel.

The judge said she accepted the light sentence — Barnhill faced a maximum sentence of 24 years — primarily to protect the victims’ privacy, News4’s Mark Segraves reported, but also because Barnhill didn’t abuse his police powers in committing the crimes.

The attorney for one of the teenagers disputed that, saying his client was afraid to testify because more officers could be involved.

“The victim that I represent understood him to be a cop,” attorney William Johnson said. “She actually rode in a car with him, and he pulled a gun from underneath the seat and bragged about being a D.C. police officer.”

9/15/2015 – Dallas, TX — A federal judge is sending a clear message to pimps and human traffickers – and the message is that if you sell our teen daughters instead of selling drugs, then you’ll risk very little time in prison for that crime.

JohnTV has previously reported on scumbag pimp Justin Dishon Brathwaite, 27, and how he transported and coerced an Oklahoma City teen into prostituting for him in Texas in 2012.

Brathwaite was indicted in federal court after a prostitution sting identified him as the teen girl’s pimp.

As a result of his federal charges, Brathwaite eventually admitted to knowingly transporting the female from Oklahoma to Texas with the express intent of forcing her to prostitute for his financial gain.

In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed not to file additional criminal charges and not to seek more than 10-years in prison, a fine greater than $250,000 and no more than three years of supervised probation upon his release.

On March 3rd of this year the FBI distributed a press release proclaiming victory and stating Brathwaite was looking at a decade behind bars.

Apparently federal Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn doesn’t really see the harm in pimping out our youth and decided a decade behind bars was way too harsh – even though the law gives her every opportunity to keep pimps like Brathwaite off our streets.

According to court documents, on July 15th Brathwaite was sentenced to a mere 24 months in prison (20% of the allowable sentence), one year of supervision upon release, no fine and a $10,000 personal money judgement (as a result of an asset forfeiture).

Justin Dishon Brathwaite PCA

Justin Dishon Brathwaite Pimp Plea

9/21/2015 – Virginia — A couple out of Iowa have been convicted of the brutal kidnapping, torture and sexual exploitation of a young woman in Virginia – all thanks to an alert trucker who called police.

Aldair Hodza, 36, was sentenced to 42-years in federal prison and Laura E. Sorensen, 31, was given a 40-year sentence.

As previously reported by JohnTV back in February, Hodza and Sorensen abducted a 20-year-old woman in their home state of Iowa in Dec. of last year before transporting her to Virginia in their RV – forcing the woman to endure 18-days of unthinkable torture and sexual abuse.

The victim, identified only a “J.B.”, was rescued after  truck driver Kevin Kimmel called police from a Pilot truck stop in New Kent County. The truck driver told 911 that he had observed a young adult woman who repeatedly was looking out the window of a tan-colored Sun Voyager R.V. parked near his rig and he feared she was in danger.

U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson was unmoved by the couple’s apology when they appeared before him and their victim in federal court in Aug. “Some of the things you did to this young lady are so horrifying you cannot capture it in words … She may never be able to have a normal relationship because of the unusual and rare level of depravity in this case,” Judge Hudson said.

Court records detail how Hodza and Sorensen lured their victim into their RV and then refused to let her leave.

The couple took photos of “J.B.” and then posted prostitution ads on Craigslist offering the unwilling woman for sale.

The couple continued to prostitute their victim as they traveled across the country. Using the prostitution proceeds for gas and food.

When J.B. tried to refuse to prostitute or flee the RV she was repeatedly tortured. The couple would heat keys or scissors on the RV’s stove and then press them into her skin. The couple would also drive nails through her feet. Health officials founds numerous wounds on J.B.’s body that backed up her claims.

J.B. was also reportedly raped by the couple and that they would often use various objects – like a large flashlight – which caused numerous internal injuries to their victim.

J.B. was reportedly often kept on a leash and that at one point Hodza slit a dog’s throat in front of J.B. to scare her into not resisting their demands or trying to escape.

When detectives searched Hodza and Sorensen’s cell phones they found lewd photos of J.B. and several photos where their victim was forcibly restrained and gaged. One series of photos is reported to have shown someone pouring bleach into an open wound on J.B.’s body.

Much of the abuse is reported to have been witnessed by Hodza’s 8-year-old daughter.

Prior to formal sentencing Hodza stated, “This is monstrous, horrible, senseless, inexplicable, inexcusable … I offer sincere apologies. I know that doesn’t mean much because I can’t take back what happened.”

Sorensen was less willing to take responsibility for her actions when she said, “I made a bad choice, however, I am not a bad person.”

Prosecutors had only asked for 35-year sentences.

12/6/2015 – OKC, OK — The first of five defendants to go to trial in the Tonya Gum federal child sex trafficking case has gone to court and been acquitted of paying to have sex with a 14-year-old girl.

JohnTV first reported on this case back in July after a federal indictment was unsealed in Oklahoma and accused one woman and four men of the despicable crimes.

On July 15, Sanford Coats, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma announced that Tonya Gay Gum, (aka, ‘Carmen’, aka ‘Lisa’), 42, was the head of a criminal organization that sold girls as young as 14 and 15-years old to ‘Johns’ seeking sex locally.

The accused ‘Johns’ were later identified by JohnTV as Trung N. Duong, William M. Baker, Russell D. Ehrens and Curtis A. Anthony.

Ehrens, 55, was tried separately from the other defendants because, unlike the others, he was not also charged with conspiracy – Ehrens contacted the juvenile’s pimp directly and did not go through Gum’s escort business.

Ehrens two day federal trial ended last week with the jury returning a ‘not guilty’ verdict.

Ehrens’ defense attorney, Ed Blau, told the Oklahoman, Ehrens’ defense was that the “the sex never happened.”

JohnTV has to call bullshit on that claim. What is known is that the prosecution provided clear evidence that the child’s pimp was contacted by Ehrens and that the child was taken to Ehrens Oklahoma City residence and could describe unique features of the interior. Additionally, Ehrens never took the stand and admitted to (nor denied) having sex with the child. Blau took the stance that the state never proved Ehrens did indeed have sex with the child.

What most likely weighed most favorably for the defense was a legal loophole that, at the time of the alleged crime, required Ehrens to have used (paraphrasing) reckless disregard as to the child’s age. Meaning – since the child was portrayed as of legal age in her description and attire (both on Backpage.com and in person) and the fact Ehrens was only with her briefly, then he had no legal obligation to know she was in fact a juvenile at the time he allegedly paid her for sexual intercourse.

JohnTV contends that federal prosecutors knew of this legal loophole early-on but were extremely arrogant in ignoring it as a factor. Had prosecutors simply charged Ehrens with human trafficking as it applies to an adult, then age would not have been a factor in the jury’s deliberation. Additionally, federal prosecutors could have recommended this case be pursued in state court and charged Ehrens with statutory rape – where reckless disregard of one’s age is not a element of the crime that has to be proven.

Fortunately, in Nov. of this year, the federal crime of child sex trafficking no longer requires the pimp or ‘John’ to use any sort of reckless disregard as to their victim’s age – its now more of a (paraphrasing) “you knew” or “should have known” stance.

Gum reportedly has reached a plea agreement and has pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit child sex trafficking. Gum has yet to be formerly sentenced, but is facing several years in prison. In July JohnTV’s own Video Vigilante Brian Bates distributed fliers in Gum’s upscale neighborhood.

The three remaining male defendants are all set to go to trial together in early January of 2016.

It is assumed all three defendants will use the same defense as Ehrens.

Readers will recall, that even though prosecutors have yet to secure a conviction at trial, they are doing everything they can to protect the identities of the pimps in this case. After JohnTV published the names of the 14 and 15-year old victim’s pimps (who were selling the girls to Gum, who in turn sold them to ‘Johns’) the federal government sought and was granted a ‘protective order’ sealing the child trafficker’s identities.

JohnTV will continue to follow this case.

Russell D. Ehrens has been described during this case as an ‘investment banker’ from New York who was in Oklahoma City at the time of his alleged crime and had a temporary residence here.

A LinkedIn profile for Ehrens identifies him as the vice president of Recruitment for Predictive Dollars and president of The American Federation of Sales Training and Recruitment (Jan. 2005 to present).

More digging by JohnTV turned up evidence that Ehrens most likely has connections to the infamous ‘Wolf of Wall Street,’ Jordan Belfort.

a FINRA (Financial Indistry Regulatory Authority) online ‘Broker check’ listing shows a Russell D. Ehrens as a disciplined, now unlicensed broker who was once employed by Stratton Oakmont, Inc. (1992-1994) out of NY.

Stratton Oakmont was a Long Island “over-the-counter” brokerage house founded by Belfort in 1989 – and reportedly the largest of its kind at that time.

Early on Stratton Oakmont was identified by investigators as a ‘pump and dump’ firm and eventually forced to shut down in 1996.

Belfort makes reference to a man named Russell Ehrens, who was a board member of Stratton Oakmont, in his biography…

2/15/2016 – Tulsa, OK — A Oklahoma City drug dealer and suspected pimp was arrested earlier this month in Tulsa after he allegedly tried to lure two underage girls into prostituting themselves for his benefit.

According to court records, William Jeffrey Johnson Jr., 26, responded to an ad placed on Backpage.com by two supposed minors, ages 15 and 16 – with the intent on working them as prostitutes (see actual ad at the bottom of this article).

In reality, the Feb. 2 online ad was placed by undercover officer’s with Tulsa’s Vice Unit.

According to court records, the ad advertised a “busty” 26-year-old by the name of “London” who “will do what your wife won’t,” and quoted fees ranging from $65 to $150.

Around 10 p.m. Johnson replied to the faux prostitution ad and inquired if ‘London’ was solo or single. The undercover officer indicated that she was only 16 and had a friend with her that was 15. You can read the entire text conversation at the bottom of this article.

Johnson then asked if the two young girls were “looking for a pimp or a handsome man who had his head on straight.”

When the undercover female officer indicated she was still in school, Johnson replied “If you are in school how will you work every day and make the money we need?” Johnson then encouraged the girl to drop out of school because she could make more money.

Johnson told the girls he would help them get their GED if they dropped out and would buy them a car.

Johnson later asked if the girl’s mother would be likely to call the cops.

Johnson told the girl she had to make at least $300 a day to pay his bills and that he preferred if she made $1,000 each day.

Johnson sent the undercover officer his name and photograph via text.

Johnson then made arrangements to meet the two young girls at a Tulsa motel around 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 5.

When Johnson showed up at a Tulsa motel, he was taken into custody by uniformed officers waiting in the bathroom.

Click here to see exclusive video from NewsOn6.com of Johnson being arrested.

Last Friday Johnson was formally charged in Tulsa County with felony pandering and solicitation of a minor through electronic means.

Oklahoma County records show that Johnson has received three deferred sentences on two different cases involving drug dealing in Oklahoma City (link to case one | link to case two). In fact, Johnson was arrested just one day after his five-year Oklahoma County probation ended.

Johnson’s bond has been set at $15,000 on the solicitation of a minor charge and $2,500 on the pandering/human trafficking charge.

Online records show that Johnson lists a home address in the 3800 block of Penny Drive in Oklahoma City (Midwest City).