North Carolina Woman Pleads Guilty To Operating Interstate Prostitution Organization

RICHMOND, Va. – Michelle Matney, 38, of Greensboro, North Carolina, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to persuade others to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution for her role as the leader of an interstate prostitution organization.   

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; John P. Torres, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington, D.C.and D.A. Middleton, Chief of Police for the Henrico County Police Divisionmade the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Henry E. Hudson.  Matney faces a maximum penalty of five years of incarceration when she is sentenced on May 10, 20013. 

            In a statement of facts filed with her plea agreement, Matney admitted to recruiting and supervising numerous prostitutes from 2010 through 2012.  She acknowledged that she would recruit prostitutes to work for her, encourage them to travel to various states other than North Carolina, where she was based, to work as prostitutes, post prostitution advertisements online for them, and set up prostitution appointments with clients.  In exchange, Matney received a portion of the earnings that the women made from prostitution.  Matney came to the attention of law enforcement after the Henrico County Police Department arrested several women for prostitution who stated that they were working for Matney. 

            This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Henrico County Police Division.  Assistant United States Attorney Jamie L. Mickelson and Roderick C. Young are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.