The Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Unit was formed in 2011 and has 24 convictions under its belt. Since 2019 when Attorney General Nessel took office, prosecutors have charged five individuals with human trafficking crimes. Three have been charged by state officials, while two others were charged in coordination with county prosecutors.
The unit has also partnered with the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office on two cases to charge two individuals with multiple felonies, including minor sex trafficking. Those cases are currently pending in Kalamazoo County.
As a result of an undercover operation at a Warren Motel, agents arrested Madkin for sex trafficking the minor victim he has been staying with at the hotel. Agents recovered online advertisements for commercial sex with the minor arranged by Madkin.
Madkin was charged with multiple counts including human trafficking and prostitution. Madkin is currently awaiting trial in Macomb County Circuit Court.
After being dispatched to a hotel in Warren for an unrelated matter, astute officers recognized indicators of human trafficking. Officers were speaking with Radney in a hotel room when they noticed a younger female in the back of the room near the bathroom who remained very quiet and attempted to hide between sunglasses. After an attempt to obscure her true identity, the young lady was eventually identified as a 17-year old minor. She indicated to officers that she had been hanging out in area motels with Radney for the last week or two.
In December 2018, Radney was charged with multiple counts, including human trafficking. Radney is currently facing preliminary proceedings in District Court.
In early 2018, Defendant was arrested for transporting a minor to a motel in the Warren, MI area for the commercial sex. Officers conducting an undercover sting discovered Townsed at the hotel with the minor victim.
Townsend was charged with multiple counts, including human trafficking. In May of 2018 he pled to human trafficking charges and in June of 2018, Townsend was sentenced to 7 months in jail with 2 years of probation.
In late 2017, two St. Clair county men were charged with sex trafficking a 17-year old minor. An investigation into the actions of McGough and Standfield was initiated by the Warren Police Department after their alleged victim came forward in September 2017 while undergoing medical treatment. The 17-year old alleged that McGough was trafficking her out of hotels in Macomb and Oakland County between April and September 2017. The victim alleged that she and her friend were recruited and encouraged to engage in commercial sex by Joseph McGough and his friend Robert Stanfield. McGough then took the victim from her hometown in St. Clair county to the metro Detroit area where they stayed in hotels and he had her engage in commercial sex. McGough took all earnings his victim made from performing commercial sex. His victim alleged she had to go on multiple “dates” a day. During a several week absence by McGough, he had his friend Standfield assume control of the operation.
McGough pled guilty in late 2018 and was sentenced to 4-15 years prison. Standfield pled guilty and was sentenced to 1-15 years jail.
In early 2016, the Attorney General's Office charged Amber Speed, 40 of Lansing, with multiple 20-year felonies, including Minor Sex Trafficking, Pandering, Accepting the Earning of a Prostitute and Debt Bondage.
Speed is alleged to have conducted an “escort” operation, posting advertisements for commercial sex for herself and at least three other girls and young women online. The alleged victims were minors when they were brought into the human trafficking ring. The victims were allegedly forced to turn over the money from the commercial sex acts to Speed who would then provide the victims with highly addictive drugs. Speed allegedly trafficked minors several times from 2009 through approximately 2014.
Speed was found guilty by a jury of one felony count of conducting a criminal enterprise for running a sex trafficking ring comprised of minors in the Lansing area in January 2018. On February 28, 2018 Speed was sentenced to five to 20 years in prison.
In late 2016, the Attorney General's Office announced charges against Andrew Golden 34, of Sterling Heights, with one count of Human Trafficking – Recruiting a Minor for Commercial Sexual Activity, for sex trafficking a 17 year-old.
The charges resulted from a tip received by Ohio authorities provided to the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes (SEMTEC) task force regarding sex trafficking of a minor female.
In June of 2016, Golden was convicted and sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.
In February of 2015 Amy Sawulski was arrested initially on prostitution charges stemming from a human trafficking investigation conducted by the Southeast Michigan Crimes Against Children Task Force.
However, after holding the preliminary examination, the defendant was bound over on additional sex trafficking charges.
In August of 2015, Sawulski pled guilty to 2 counts of human trafficking in Washtenaw county.
In 2012, the Attorney General's Office arrested 35 year-old, Jackie Robinson Harris, of Auburn Hills on allegations of child sex trafficking. The charges resulted from an investigation by the Michigan State Police and the FBI through the Southeast Michigan Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Harris was charged with sex trafficking of a minor, prostitution, and criminal enterprises for allegations of sexually exploiting a 16 year-old girl from South East Michigan by recruiting her to work as a prostitute. Harris allegedly enticed the girl into helping run the prostitution ring before he later sent her to work as a prostitute.
Harris was convicted by an Oakland County Jury of Human Trafficking on February 13, 2014. On March 6, 2014, Harris was sentenced to 25-80 years in prison
In 2011, the Attorney General's Office arrested Sedrick Leman-Isaac Mitchell, 32, of Detroit, for allegedly engaging in human trafficking and other crimes related to the enslavement of two young girls who were forced to engage in prostitution in Detroit. The charges resulted from an investigation by Michigan State Police and the FBI through the Southeast Michigan Crimes Against Children Task Force (SEMCAC).
Mitchell, also known as "Gruesome" and "Roc," was accused of enslaving two girls and forcing them to engage in prostitution on the streets of Detroit. The victims include 14-year-old and 15-year-old girls. Mitchell allegedly held captive one 14-year-old girl and one 15-year-old girl in a house on Detroit's east side for approximately two months. The victims were forced to engage in prostitution and, faced physical assaults and sexual assaults.
Mitchell was convicted by a Wayne County jury on eight criminal counts on March 23, 2012. He was sentenced on April 11, 2012 to 35-60 years.
Dallas Jordan-King, 23 of Pontiac was charged in August of 2020, with conducting a criminal enterprise comprised of prostitution and sex trafficking of numerous young women in Auburn Hills, Pontiac and other locations throughout Oakland County. Jordan-King was charged with, Sex Trafficking, multiple serious prostitution charges, Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, 1 count of Child Sexually Abusive Material – Production, together with a firearm charge.
From July 2018 through October 5, 2019, in Auburn Hills, Pontiac, Madison Heights and elsewhere, Jordan-King operated a prostitution and sex trafficking criminal enterprise, comprised of at least 9 victims. Agents recognized the scope of Jordan-King’s activities after hearing multiple reports that Jordan-King would befriend young college-aged females and groom them to engage in sexual activity for profit, from which Jordan-King benefitted.
In the fall of 2017, a 19-year-old victim reported that after she had arrived in Detroit on a Greyhound bus from Georgia, she was forced for the next week to engage in commercial sex for Streety. The victim was approached by Streety’s “girlfriend” upon arrival at the Detroit bus station, who offered the victim a ride. When she entered the vehicle, she met Streety who was driving the vehicle. The two convinced the girl to attend a private afterhours party to make some money by dancing. The victim was drugged and, after Streety took her phone with all her contact information, she had no real means of escape. Streety took her to hotels in the Metro Detroit area where she was forced to engage in commercial sex. He posted advertisements and kept all the proceeds.
Streety pled guilty to trafficking charges and was sentenced to 3-15 years in February 2019.
Christopher Lowery was arrested for conducting a prostitution ring via telephone from the Wayne County jail in Detroit in November 2016 and March 2017. Lowery made phone calls to various women and coerced them into conducting commercial sexual activity. He then directed the women provide the money to his friends or family members, who would store the money for him or place money into his jail account.
Lowery plead guilty to human trafficking and in March of 2018 he was sentenced to 7-15 years in prison.
Also in 2015, the Attorney General's Office arrested an Inkster man for conducting an online “escort” operation in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties. Jahan Satati Green 38, of Inkster was charged with multiple felonies including Human Trafficking, Transporting for Prostitution, Accepting the Earnings of a Prostitute and Conducting a Criminal Enterprise.
The charges result from an extensive investigation conducted by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations that revealed human trafficking through a prostitution ring. While Green’s operation involved him prostituting a number of women, the charges here related to two adult victims.
After trial by jury in Wayne Circuit in March of 2016, Green was convicted on 5 of 7 felonies and sentenced to 20-40 years in prison.
In 2013, the Attorney Genreal's Office arrested a Florida man accused of assaulting a young woman and forcing her to work as a stripper in Southeast Michigan. The charges resulted from an investigation by Southfield Police Department with assistance from the FBI through the Southeast Michigan Crimes Against Children Task Force (SEMCAC).
Vinson Alexander, 30, of Florida was charged with human trafficking, criminal enterprises, and torture for allegedly enslaving the young woman and forcing her to work as a stripper. On June 11, 3013, Alexander pled guilty to human trafficking. On July 23, 2013 Alexander was incarcerated for 1-10 years.
Also in 2011, the Attorney General's Office arrested five residents of Southeast Michigan for conducting a human trafficking operation through a prostitution ring, called "Detroit Pink." Mustafaa Hassan Muhammad 31, of Detroit; Tara Muhammad 32, of Chesterfield Township; Brooklyn Marie Siebert, 29 of Warren; Rita Jean Jemison 25, of Detroit; and Jason Michael Sherrill, 31, of Detroit are each charged with multiple felonies including Human Trafficking, Pandering, Accepting the Earnings of a Prostitute and Racketeering.
The charges resulted from an extensive investigation conducted by Michigan State Police and the FBI through the Southeast Michigan Crimes Against Children Task Force that revealed human trafficking involving at least one child, as well as forced drug running across the country.
Four of the five defendants pled guilty to human trafficking, served jail sentences and continue to be monitored on probation. The primary defendant, Mustafaa Muhammad, pled guilty to minor sex trafficking and labor trafficking on August 29, 2013. He was sentenced to prison for 6-20 years on September 12, 2013.
In March of 2021, Robert Henry Grigsby, 51, of Wayland, and Vanessa Anne Phillips, 39 of Grand Rapids, were arrested for conspiring to conduct a criminal enterprise comprised of prostitution and sex trafficking of numerous women in Grigsby’s home in Wayland, and other locations throughout the greater Grand Rapids area.
In October 2018, Wayland Police began an investigation into a human trafficking operation being conducted out of a residence in Wayland MI. The investigation revealed that from late 2018 through June 2019 homeowner, Robert Henry Grigsby together with Vanessa Anne Phillips recruited at least three adult women to perform commercial sexual activity out of Grigsby’s home in Wayland, as well as arranging for and transporting the women for “dates” outside of the home. Grigsby and Phillips provided the women crack cocaine and heroin to coerce them into performing the commercial sex acts. Grigsby and Phillips collected proceeds from the commercial sexual activity. The investigation into Grigsby and Phillips’ sex trafficking and prostitution enterprise was initiated by the Wayland Police Department, who recognized the nature and scope of Grigsby’s activities after receiving training on human trafficking. Alert investigators observed suspicious activity at a Grigsby’s home. Further investigation revealed multiple online advertisements for commercial sex related to the location. In May and June of 2019 alone, surveillance on Grigsby’s residence observed over 100 distinct “visitors” to the house on 41 separate days of observation.
In 2016, Attorney General's Office announced that Jonathan Colon was arrested for conducting an online "escort" operation in Oakland and Macomb Counties.
Jonathan Colon 24, was charged with multiple felonies including Human Trafficking, Transporting for Prostitution, Accepting the Earnings of a Prostitute and Conducting a Criminal Enterprise. Colon was alleged to have posted advertisements for commercial sex for at least two women online. The girls, staying at metro area motels with Colon, were forced to turn over the money from the commercial sex acts to Colon who would then provide the girls with highly addictive drugs.
In July of 2017, in a joint prosecution with the new drug unit, the office charged Melvin Niblett, Corey Cooper, Maurice Rushton, and Jasmin McGinnis with running a drug and sex trafficking operation.
Between September and October of 2016, law enforcement in Warren, Madison Heights and Southfield were aware that Niblett and his crew were running a drug and prostitution operation in Oakland and Macomb counties.
While dozens of individuals were involved, Niblett is alleged to have been at the top of the operation. Niblett and two others were charged with human trafficking. They each pled guilty and in December of 2017 they were sentenced to prison: Niblett for 6.5-20 years; Rushton for 1.5-10 years; and McGinnis for 2.5-20 years.
Also in 2011, the Attorney General's Office arrested five residents of Southeast Michigan for conducting a human trafficking operation through a prostitution ring, called "Detroit Pink." Mustafaa Hassan Muhammad 31, of Detroit; Tara Muhammad 32, of Chesterfield Township; Brooklyn Marie Siebert, 29 of Warren; Rita Jean Jemison 25, of Detroit; and Jason Michael Sherrill, 31, of Detroit are each charged with multiple felonies including Human Trafficking, Pandering, Accepting the Earnings of a Prostitute and Racketeering.
The charges resulted from an extensive investigation conducted by Michigan State Police and the FBI through the Southeast Michigan Crimes Against Children Task Force that revealed human trafficking involving at least one child, as well as forced drug running across the country.
Four of the five defendants pled guilty to human trafficking, served jail sentences and continue to be monitored on probation. The primary defendant, Mustafaa Muhammad, pled guilty to minor sex trafficking and labor trafficking on August 29, 2013. He was sentenced to prison for 6-20 years on September 12, 2013.
