Two men from the Montgomery area have been convicted for their role in running a prostitution ring that reportedly involved minors and violence against trafficking victims.
A statement from the United States Department of Justice identified the two as Kimani Jones, 32, also known as “Statik,” and Tremayne Lambert, 50, also known as “Bayrock,” both of Montgomery.
According to the statement Lambert is the biological father of Jones. The two were found guilty after a four-day trial where they were accused of trafficking victims between the years of 2016 and 2020.
Three other co-defendants were previously tried for their roles in the ring and found guilty, said the statement.
“The defendants targeted vulnerable women and girls before using physical and sexual violence, along with threats of violence against them and others, to create a climate of fear that terrified the victims,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
“The Justice Department is committed to vindicating the rights of human trafficking victims and enforcing the federal human trafficking laws, and this prosecution is a testament to the courageous young women who detailed the coercive scheme these defendants perpetrated for years on scores of women and girls.”
The statement said that Jones rented hotel rooms where victims were compelled to engage in sex for money while he provided food, clothing and drugs.
Jones reportedly held no legal jobs and showed off the money he made from the enterprise on social media.
During this time Jones is said to have used threats and violence to intimidate the victims, including one incident where a victim who was a minor was grabbed by the throat and dragged across the floor. Others involved hitting that resulted in broken teeth and jaws. Victims' families were also threatened.
He reportedly used guns to threaten the victims, sometimes firing them in their presence.
Lambert had served as a monitor of the victims and was a "rule enforcer" who had previously been convicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Both face a minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison in addition to mandatory restitution.
“These defendants exploited the vulnerabilities of women and young girls for their own profit, showing complete disregard for human dignity,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson. “Every victim deserves justice, and we will continue our efforts to ensure that those who prey on others are held accountable for their crimes.”
The statement encouraged anyone with information about similar cases to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, available 24/7, or www.humantraffickinghotline.org. The Justice Department maintains a page on combating human trafficking at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
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