Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Gary S. Shapiro, announced yesterday afternoon that Carl Brandon Smith, also known as “Moo,” 25, of Chicago, pleading guilty and admitted that he engaged in forced sex trafficking of, said, Victim B, as well as of a second minor and two young adult women. Between 2010 and early 2012, Smith forced his victims to engage in commercial sex acts, used physical violence, and threatened to kill them if they ever left him.
Smith, who has remained in federal custody since he was arrested last April is scheduled to be sentenced on April 5 by U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. He is charged with two counts of sex trafficking of a minor and by force, two counts of sex trafficking by force, and one count of transporting a minor across state lines to engage in prostitution.
According to a plea agreement, he met Victim B in December 2010 at which time he began contacting her via phone, text, and social media, asking her to move to Chicago, intending that she be his “girlfriend” and also engage in prostitution. In February 2011, Smith drove to Victim B residence in Wisconsin and drove her to his apartment in Chicago, acknowledging that she was under 18 at the time.
Once in Chicago, Smith “dated” Victim B for approximately a week before Victim B began working as a prostitute under his employ. Between February and July 2011, Victim B was directed to engaged in commercial sex acts; with Smith acting as her pimp, he advertised her for commercial sex on Internet sites, and instructed her to have sex with customers in his apartment and in area motels. Victim B had sex with numerous men per week and gave a portion of the money she earned to Smith.
As part of the guilty plea, Smith stipulated that he acted as a pimp for Victim A, also a minor, and forced her to engage in prostitution during 2010. Smith inflicted physical violence on Victim A when she gave him “attitude” or when she indicated that she no longer wanted to work as a prostitute. On one occasion, Smith beat Victim A so severely that one eye swelled shut.
Similarly, Smith stipulated to using and threatening violence against both Victims C and D, both adults, while acting as their pimp and forcing them to engage in commercial sex acts in 2011 and early 2012.
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