Defendant Convicted of Sex Trafficking and Interstate Prostitution on Long Island and in Other States
A federal jury in Central Islip today convicted Michail McKen of two counts of sex trafficking by force and two counts of interstate prostitution in connection with a sex trafficking business he operated in Suffolk and Nassau Counties, New York, Virginia, Arizona, Massachusetts, and elsewhere. The verdict followed a six-day trial before United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack.
When he is sentenced, McKen faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in prison and up to life in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, and Robert Waring, Acting Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department, announced the verdict.
“The defendant stands convicted today of luring vulnerable women into his web of deceit and coercing them to have commercial sex with men all over the country, including on Long Island,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “He falsely promised his victims a better life, but instead controlled their lives with threats of violence and manipulation to enrich himself. Prosecuting sex traffickers like McKen is a priority of my Office and it is also my hope that today’s verdict brings some measure of consolation to survivors of this awful, exploitative crime.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy stated, “For three years, Michail McKen established a national trafficking route to ensnare and force countless women into sexual slavery. False promises and deceit progressed into physical violence and degradation to ensure his victims remained captive. May today’s conviction demonstrate the FBI’s commitment to apprehending all individuals who implement perverted tactics to profit off another’s body.”
As proven at trial, between 2019 and 2022, McKen was a pimp who used violence and threats of violence to coerce multiple women to engage in commercial sex acts for his own profit. McKen often recruited sex workers through social media and then caused them to travel to Long Island, where McKen is originally from, to engage in commercial sex acts in hotels and other locations.
The Defendant:
MICHAIL MCKEN (al)
Exact Criminal Charges: Two counts of sex trafficking by force and two counts of interstate prostitution
City and State: Central Islip, New York
Exact Date: Not specified
Sentence or Outcome: Faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in prison and up to life in prison
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
