Michael A. McLeod, 25, of Jersey City, N. He pleaded guilty on March 28 to first-degree conspiracy to commit human trafficking and second-degree facilitation of human trafficking. Tyree D. Jeter, 28, of Jersey City, N. He pleaded guilty on March 29 to second-degree conspiracy to facilitate human trafficking and second-degree facilitation of human trafficking.
David Powell Jr. He pleaded guilty on March 28 to second-degree conspiracy to facilitate human trafficking. The charges were contained in an Oct. The investigation revealed that McLeod used violence or the threat of violence to control the two victims who were prostituted by the defendants: the year-old and an year-old woman. McLeod once held a gun to the head of the year-old and threatened to kill her. Other times, he beat and kicked her.
McLeod and his assistants put the victims up at hotels where they were required to prostitute themselves under the control of the defendants. The four defendants were arrested in May When the detective went to the motel, he was met by the year-old girl as well as the year-old victim, who was assigned to keep track of her. After the year-old girl offered the detective sex for money, officers entered the motel room and took custody of the two teenagers.
McLeod relied on Jeter, Powell and Hayward to control the girls when he was not around and ensure they were not free to leave. Jeter would rent hotel rooms in his name and share them with the girls, waiting outside as security while they were working. Hayward transported the girls between hotels. Hayward and Powell also brought food to the girls or took them out to eat, because McLeod did not let them have any money.
McLeod collected all of the money from the girls. He gave Jeter, Powell and Hayward a small percentage of the money, but kept most of it for himself. Noelle Holl handled the case for the Division of Criminal Justice. Garrabrant of the FBI. For Immediate Release:. For Further Information:. Demetrius James Hayward, 20, of Summerville, S. He pled guilty on March 28 to second-degree conspiracy to facilitate human trafficking. News Index Page I top.
