TAMPA – A Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) Tampa investigation, as a part of the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Job Drive (TBHTTF) of the Center District of Florida, led to the sentencing of a Texas man to 21 years and 10 months in federal jail for intercourse trafficking a minor, enticement of a minor to interact in illegal sexual exercise, use of a facility of interstate commerce in help of racketeering, and interstate transportation of an individual for business intercourse acts.
Jamel Muldrew, 34, of Houston, was sentenced Oct. 5, 2022, after a TBHTTF investigation revealed that he had been trafficking the minor sufferer throughout the nation to interact in business intercourse acts. Particularly, from February till April 2021, Muldrew trafficked the minor sufferer within the states of Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, the place he was finally arrested.
As a part of his sentence, the courtroom additionally ordered Muldrew to pay $27,740 in restitution to Sufferer 1, to forfeit digital units used within the fee of the offense, and to register as a intercourse offender. Muldrew pleaded responsible on March 10, 2022.
“This heinous predator trafficked his minor sufferer across the nation to interact in prostitution, together with in Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida,” mentioned Assistant Particular Agent in Cost Kristopher Pagitt, HSI Tampa. “The success of this investigation is a direct results of the excellent regulation enforcement partnerships we now have within the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Job Drive, to incorporate the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Workplace and the Houston (Texas) Police Division, in addition to non-governmental organizations similar to Selah-Freedom.”
In line with courtroom paperwork, on April 9, 2021, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Workplace coordinated the operation to establish victims of human trafficking, rescue these victims, and establish and arrest their traffickers. As a part of this operation, an undercover officer organized with the minor sufferer to interact in business intercourse acts at an area lodge in trade for $800.
Muldrew arrived on the lodge driving the minor sufferer and was arrested on state costs. On the time of his arrest, officers recovered a number of fictitious id playing cards on Muldrew’s particular person, for each him and the minor sufferer.
This case was investigated by HSI Tampa, with the help from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Workplace and the Houston Police Division. The case was prosecuted by the workplace of United States Lawyer Roger B. Handberg, Center District Florida, Assistant United States Attorneys Ilyssa M. Spergel and Carlton C. Gammons.
The TBHTTF of the Center District of Florida is one in every of 13 job forces within the nation to obtain grant funding from the Division of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Help. The Job Drive is a collaboration of native, state, and federal regulation enforcement brokers working along with organizations to detect, examine, and prosecute human trafficking within the Tampa Bay space. This consists of trafficking of minors, compelled labor, transnational intercourse trafficking, and intercourse trafficking of adults by pressure, fraud, or coercion.