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Press Release
Sex Trafficking Victims Testified to Defendant’s Physical and Sexual Abuse, Threats, Tattoo Branding, and Bragging About Beating Murder Charges
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Jean Claude Roy, a/k/a “Dredd the Don,” and “Dreddy,” age 32, of Germantown, Maryland, to 20 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for conspiring to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, three counts of interstate transportation for prostitution, and witness and evidence tampering.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Jocelyn Samuels; Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.
“Jean Claude Roy preyed on vulnerable young women,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “Law enforcement agencies will continue to work to identify and prosecute human traffickers.”
“The Civil Rights Division is committed to pursuing justice on behalf of vulnerable members of our society,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division. “This sentence sends a clear message that the United States will not tolerate modern-day slavery and will work tirelessly to restore the rights and dignity of its victims.”
“This case serves as another chilling example of the callous disregard for human life demonstrated by traffickers,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) Baltimore Deputy Special Agent in Charge James P. Nagle. “Our special agents will continue pursuing these criminals to ensure they are behind bars where they can no longer exploit the innocent.”
According to evidence presented during the two week trial, between August and September 2012 Roy transported a victim across state lines to engage in prostitution. He also took the victim’s identity documents and kept all of the victim’s money.
During the trial, victims recounted their fear of Roy, explaining instances of physical and sexual abuse, threats, tattoo branding and Roy’s bragging of beating a murder charge years prior in Massachusetts. “If he could kill a man, who’s gonna care about a prostitute,” one victim said from the witness stand. Witnesses detailed the guns in Roy’s possession and how he prostituted women in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.
In November 2012 Roy recruited co-defendant Brittney Creason to engage in prostitution. Thereafter, Creason helped Roy recruit and transport girls from Illinois and North Carolina to engage in prostitution. Roy conspired to force the women to engage in prostitution by again bragging about beating murder charges, taking their identity documents and taking their money.
Trial evidence also showed that from January 1 through 10, 2013, while Roy was in jail on related state charges, he called an individual several times and had that person access online accounts and storage services belonging to Roy and Creason in order to erase evidence related to these charges.
The jury found Roy not guilty of sex trafficking and attempted sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; and possessing and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Brittney Creason, a/k/a “Kitty Amor,” age 20, of Decatur, Illinois, previously pleaded guilty of using a facility in interstate commerce for an illegal activity, and was sentenced to time served of three months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.
Report suspected instances of human trafficking to HSI's tip line at 866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423) or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended HSI Baltimore and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristi N. O’Malley, and Trial Attorney William E. Nolan of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division's Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, who prosecuted the case.