LOS ANGELES – A former Riverside County resident was found guilty by a jury today of forcing and coercing a victim into engaging in commercial sex acts on the notorious Figueroa Street in Los Angeles.
Elias Abdul Shabazz, 34, formerly of Perris and whose last known residence was in Washington, D.C., was found guilty of one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. He has been in federal custody since May 2025.
“Sex trafficking matters rank among the most tragic cases our office prosecutes,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “This defendant will now face many years in a federal prison cell for his sick, disgusting, and disturbing behavior.”
Elias Shabazz was found guilty of one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion.
The criminal conduct occurred from May 2021 to October 2021. Shabazz led his victim to believe that they were engaged in a romantic relationship, but he soon turned physically and sexually violent demanding that the victim engage in commercial sex acts.
At trial, the victim explained how he introduced her to commercial sex, demanded she meet a daily quota of commercial sex proceeds, and how he terrified her of the consequences of not meeting that quota.
United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld, Jr., scheduled an October 6 sentencing hearing, at which time Shabazz will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Assistant United States Attorney Kim Meyer of the Major Crimes Section and Trial Attorney Kate A. Alexander of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting this case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at (888) 373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org.
Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Defendant: Elias Abdul Shabazz
Criminal Charges: Sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion
City and State: Los Angeles, California
Exact Date: May 2025 (arrested), May 2021 to October 2021 (crime date)
Sentence or Outcome: Mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Sex Crimes|Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Sex Crimes|Human TraffickingSex Crimes|Human TraffickingSex Crimes|Human TraffickingSex Crimes|Human Trafficking