Marion County Man Convicted of Human Trafficking

TYLER, Texas - A Jefferson, Texas man has been convicted of federal sex trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.

Corey Johnson, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking today before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell.

According to information presented in court, Johnson engaged in trafficking at least three victims between March 2020 and September 2020 in Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, New York, and California.  Johnson transported the victims and arranged transportation for the victims between various hotels and motels to perform commercial sex acts.  Johnson recruited the victims by social media and threatened to harm them if they did not perform commercial sex acts for commercial sex customers.  Johnson obtained customers by purchasing and posting advertisements on various internet websites.

Under federal statutes, Johnson faces up to life in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case was investigated by Texas DPS Criminal Investigations Division.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld and Robert Austin Wells, with assistance from Trial Attorney Julie Pfluger of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

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