Raleigh Man Convicted of Human Trafficking

NEW BERN - United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today, BRANDON MARQUIS JENNINGS, 29, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was convicted in federal court following a four-day trial before United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan.  The jury found JENNINGS guilty of four counts of sex trafficking, one count of production of child pornography, one count of transporting a minor in interstate commerce for a sexual offense, three counts of coercing and enticing victims to travel interstate for prostitution, three counts of transporting victims interstate for prostitution, and one count of operating an interstate prostitution enterprise.

From 2013 until December 2016, JENNINGS operated a prostitution ring involving numerous women and children.  Jennings typically enticed his victims to work for him with promises of love and money.  After they joined him, JENNINGS frequently ruthlessly manipulated, threatened, and violently assaulted his victims to ensure they would continue prostituting for him.  Then he took all their money.  Some victims were minors, and he enticed one of those minors to send an image of child pornography to him.

JENNINGS faces a sentence of not less than 15 years and up to life in prison, a fine up to $3,250,000, and up to life supervised release at sentencing.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the Raleigh Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Blondel and Melissa Kessler handled the prosecution of this case for the government.