June 25, 2009
Portland Couple Arraigned on Transporting and Sex Trafficking Charges Involving a Minor Victim
Federal indictment charges five counts of sex trafficking & transporting a minor for purposes of prostituion
Portland, Ore. – U.S. Attorney Karin J. Immergut announced today that Donnico T. Johnson, 37, of Portland, Oregon, made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis J. Hubel on charges of sex trafficking, transportation of a minor, and coercion and enticement of a 16-year old female with the purpose of prostitution. On June 16, 2009, a federal grand jury issued a superseding indictment charging Johnson and co-defendant Lisa Miles, 30, who were arrested last Thursday in Portland. Both defendants are in custody pending trial, which is set for August 11, 2009.
The indictment alleges that Johnson and Miles transported the minor female from Seattle, Washington to Portland, Oregon with the intent that she engage in prostitution. Further, it alleges that Johnson knew the female was under the age of 18. Johnson’s co-defendant, Miles, was arraigned last Friday and held in custody pending trial by U.S. Magistrate Judge Janice M. Stewart.
To support the detention of Johnson and Miles, the minor victim’s mother provided a written statement that was read to U.S. Magistrate Judges Stewart and Hubel. “I am speaking to the court as the mother of a vulnerable child who was exploited and victimized. She is, and always will be my child. I’m angry at predators like Donnico Johnson and Lisa Miles, who exploit children at one of the hardest times of their lives...their teens. I would like to acknowledge the determination and hard work of the detectives over the last year and a half, by pursuing the real perpetrators of these crimes, instead of the victims. I am extremely proud of my daughter for her bravery in standing up to these cowards. I would ask that the court protect our children and communities by denying bail and remanding them into custody until trial.”
The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A conviction for sex trafficking carries a mandatory minimum 10-year sentence to a maximum of life imprisonment. The transportation or coercion and enticement counts each carry a mandatory minimum 10-year sentence to a maximum of life imprisonment.
