Owner of Buckhead Brothel Sentenced to Federal Prison

ATLANTA - Jamika Weese, a/k/a Jae, was sentenced to federal prison for operating a brothel out of an Atlanta apartment from which she transported women to other states for commercial sex. Weese also fraudulently obtained nearly $70,000 worth of federal loans intended to assist legitimate businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Weese ran a prostitution ring, trafficked women, and lied to collect tens of thousands of dollars in federal loans,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Her conviction and sentence demonstrate that criminals who exploit vulnerable victims and rip off the government will be held accountable for their crimes.”

“This case represents why sex trafficking is such a high priority matter for the FBI and our law enforcement partners,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “Weese repeatedly took advantage of vulnerable victims, first in her sex trafficking operation, then as she fraudulently obtained funds designed to help those suffering during the pandemic. This case should resonate with those who might consider this reprehensible criminal conduct acceptable.”

“This sentencing underscores the commitment of Homeland Security Investigations to dismantling criminal networks that exploit vulnerable individuals for financial gain," said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama Steven N. Schrank. “Through collaborative efforts with our law enforcement partners, we were able to bring Ms. Weese to justice, ensuring accountability for her actions and protection for those she victimized. HSI will continue to prioritize investigations that target exploitation and fraud schemes that harm our communities and undermine public trust.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Before the Super Bowl in February 2019, the Metro Atlanta Child Exploitation Task Force and other law enforcement officers received reports that Weese was operating a commercial sex trafficking ring in the metro Atlanta area. The officers were told that Weese physically abused and even threatened at gunpoint some of the women who she forced to engage in sex work. 

On June 28, 2019, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations coordinated with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office to conduct an undercover operation at a Buckhead apartment where Weese was operating a brothel. Law enforcement searched the apartment and seized evidence that confirmed Weese posted commercial sex advertisements online, directed women to receive clients at the apartment, and imposed a quota for their earnings, more than half of which Weese took for herself. From 2017 through 2019, Weese repeatedly arranged for the women to travel to other states (including Arizona, Colorado, South Carolina, Texas, and Florida) to engage in prostitution for her own financial benefit. Weese was arrested by local authorities but released the same day.

Later, the FBI learned that Weese fraudulently obtained a $48,900 Economic Injury and Disaster Loan and $20,000 Paycheck Protection Program loan in 2020 and 2021 after misrepresenting that she had earned her income from a cosmetics company. Weese was indicted and rearrested in 2023.

Weese, 42, of Atlanta, Ga., has been sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $69,000 and to register as a sex offender.  On May 14, 2024, Wease pleaded guilty to one count of transporting an individual interstate for the purpose of prosecution and one count of wire fraud.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office and Gwinnett County Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Laurel B. Milam and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Irina Khasin prosecuted the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.