LIFE SENTENCE IMPOSED IN FEDERAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING CASE

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Chad Cornelious Seymore, a/k/a “Circle City Pimp”, 50, of Dothan, Alabama, was sentenced to Life in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; two counts of interstate travel in aid of racketeering; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Seymore’s co-defendant, Kimberly Robinson Gandy, 48, of Gulfport, Mississippi, was found guilty by a federal jury in June 2025 of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Gandy was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment. The sentences were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “January was Human Trafficking Prevention Month, during which we raised awareness of this heinous crime to educate the public how to recognize the signs of human trafficking and report it to law enforcement. To be clear, every month must be Human Trafficking Prevention Month. For our part, my office will continue to aggressively prosecute human traffickers, like these defendants, who enslave their victims by threat and by force, and we will seek maximum punishments for their crimes to ensure they cannot victimize others ever again.”

Court documents reflect that over a four-year period Seymore conspired with others to bond adult women out of county jails and then forced or coerced them to commit commercial sex acts in Alabama and across North Florida. Seymore also recruited women suffering from drug addictions at hotels and through online advertisements. He threatened and physically abused his sex trafficking victims. Gandy conspired with Seymore to traffic women in Panama City Beach and Destin. They used online money exchange platforms to transfer funds received from commercial sex acts.

“These sentences send a clear message – those who exploit and traffic vulnerable individuals will be relentlessly pursued and brought to justice,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa acting Special Agent in Charge Mike Cochran. “HSI is committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to dismantle trafficking networks, protect victims, and hold offenders accountable. We will continue to use every resource available to ensure that our communities are safe from those who would profit from human suffering.”

“The actions of these two individuals were not impulsive mistakes,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “They were calculated decisions that caused significant and lasting harm to numerous victims. The outcome in this investigation serves as a reminder that these crimes are happening in our communities—and that law enforcement will continue to pursue those responsible and seek justice for victims. Human trafficking isn’t always a violent crime—but it is a devastating one, and it continues to increase across the country. The FBI will continue to work closely with our partners to identify, prioritize, investigate, and deter individuals from exploiting victims.”

Chief Talamantez said: “This case started with officers doing exactly what they are trained to do, pay attention and act when something isn’t right. That awareness drove a relentless, coordinated effort with our state and federal partners to dismantle a violent human trafficking operation. These defendants preyed on vulnerable victims through fear and abuse, and today they are being held fully accountable. Panama City Beach will not be a place where traffickers operate. If you exploit people here, we will find you and remove you.”

The convictions were the result of a joint investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dothan, Alabama Police Department, the Panama City Beach Police Department with assistance from the Panama City Police Department, United States Marshal’s Service, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the State Attorney’s Office for the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama. The case was prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Spaven.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF comprises agents and officers from multiple agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.