Duhamel Cassagnol, Sex Trafficking, MA 2024

Duhamel Cassagnol, 31, of Milton, Massachusetts, is behind bars for 17 years and three months after being sentenced in federal court in Boston on sex trafficking charges. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs, includes five years of supervised release and restitution of approximately $13,249 to four identified victims.

Cassagnol pleaded guilty in September 2018 to sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; and transporting three individuals for prostitution. From July 2014 through February 2016, he ran a brutal trafficking ring with accomplice Geneiva Whaley, 24, of Connecticut, using online ads on sites like Backpage.com to exploit vulnerable women addicted to heroin.

Victims were housed in hotel rooms booked under Whaley’s name across Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and Florida. Clients were directed to these rooms through online ads, and the women had no control over the sexual acts demanded or the fees charged. After each encounter, Cassagnol or Whaley collected all earnings, leaving victims dependent on them for food, shelter, and, most insidiously, drugs.

To maintain control, Cassagnol and Whaley dangled heroin as both reward and punishment—only those who turned a profit earned their next fix. Three of the four victims endured physical violence at Cassagnol’s hands, including beatings and, in one case, being forced to use drugs against her will. All four were threatened with further violence if they resisted.

Whaley was arrested alongside Cassagnol in December 2017. She pleaded guilty in May 2018 to transporting an individual for prostitution and was sentenced in October 2018 to 12 months in prison and five years of supervised release. While her role was significant, prosecutors described Cassagnol as the driving force behind the operation’s cruelty and scale.

The charges carry stiff penalties: sex trafficking by force allows for 15 years to life; conspiracy to commit sex trafficking allows up to life; and transporting individuals for prostitution carries up to 10 years. All counts include mandatory restitution. U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Homeland Security Investigations’ Peter C. Fitzhugh announced the outcome, crediting state and local police from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and beyond. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Pérez-Daple prosecuted the case.