Baltimore, Maryland – In a shocking case of human exploitation, Franklin Roosevelt Coit, 35, also known as ‘Frank’ and ‘Nitty,’ was sentenced to 140 months in prison for sex trafficking a minor.
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III, who also ordered Coit to register as a sex offender upon release.
Coit and his co-defendant, Jamar Simmons, a/k/a ‘Mar,’ operated a brothel on Madison Avenue in Baltimore City, as well as rented hotel rooms and a residence in Maryland for prostitution. The duo falsely advertised online for exotic dancing and an escort service to recruit females, including at least one minor, from Maryland and other states.
The investigation, led by the FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force (MCETF), revealed that Coit and Simmons took sexually explicit pictures of the females they recruited and posted them online, along with phone numbers to call to schedule a ‘date,’ or sex. Simmons set the pricing for the sex acts and instructed the females on how to arrange ‘dates’ over the phone and how to avoid detection by law enforcement.
Coit and Simmons shared the cash proceeds of the prostitution business and used a gun to protect the business and its cash proceeds. Simmons, who was a Baltimore City firefighter at the time of the offense, pleaded guilty to the same charge and was sentenced to 15 years in prison in December 2013.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Baltimore City and County Police Departments, and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel M. Yasser prosecuted the case, with the assistance of Baltimore City Assistant State’s Attorney Aaliyah Muhammad.
The Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007, partners with the MCETF to identify and rescue victims of human trafficking and prosecute offenders. For more information about the task force, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md/Human-Trafficking/index.html.
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Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Sex Crimes|Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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