Maryland man convicted in violent sex trafficking conspiracy

GREENBELT, Md. – A federal jury convicted a Maryland man March 19 of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, three counts of interstate transportation for prostitution, and witness and evidence tampering.

The conviction of Jean Claude Roy, aka Dredd the Don and Dreddy, 31, of Germantown, Md., follows an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Montgomery County Police Department.

"Protecting our communities from those who engage in human trafficking is a top priority for HSI," said William Winter, special agent in charge of HSI Baltimore. "As a member of the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, HSI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate human trafficking, as well as working with our local non-governmental, community-based and faith-based organizations to identify, rescue and assist victims of trafficking."

"This defendant preyed on vulnerable young women and exploited them for prostitution," stated Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s Civil Rights Division Jocelyn Samuels. "The Civil Rights Division is committed to seeking justice on behalf of victims of human trafficking."

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 and participated in a conspiracy to force the victim to engage in prostitution, by taking the victim’s identity documents, keeping all of the victim’s money, and bragging about beating charges for murder.

In November 2012, Roy recruited co-defendant Brittney Creason aka Kitty Amor, 19, of Decatur, Ill., to engage in prostitution at Roy's direction. 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 Jan. 1 to Jan. 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.

Roy faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; a maximum of 10 years in prison for each of three counts of interstate transportation for prostitution; and a maximum of 20 years in prison for witness and evidence tampering. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm scheduled sentencing for July 16 at 9:30 a.m.

Brittney Creason previously pleaded guilty of using a facility in interstate commerce for an illegal activity, and awaits sentencing.  

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 www.justice.gov/usao/md/Human-Trafficking/index.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.

The case is being prosecuted by 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.