Milwaukee Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 19, 2024, a jury found defendant Samuel L. Spencer, who used the alias “Bin Laden,” guilty of four counts of Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion, and one count of Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking following a two-week trial in Milwaukee.
The evidence presented at trial established that between 2005 and 2020, Spencer was a street-level drug dealer who used crack cocaine and heroin, along with false promises of a romantic relationship, to lure female victims to earn money for him by performing commercial sex acts in southeastern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and other midwestern states. The victims testified that Spencer took everything they earned, controlling them with severe physical violence, the threat of withholding drugs, isolation, and other forms of coercion to ensure they complied with his demands.
“The jury’s verdict in this case was the result of tireless work by federal, state, and local law enforcement as well as Mr. Spencer’s victims having the courage to give voice to the trauma they suffered,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “January is Human Trafficking Awareness month, and this case serves as another example of the fact that sex trafficking and labor trafficking can happen anywhere. If you suspect that someone is being trafficked, please report it to law enforcement or call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. The hotline is staffed around the clock.”
Spencer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to a maximum sentence of life in prison. Sentencing has been set for May 16, 2024, before Chief Judge Pamela Pepper.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, with the assistance of the Milwaukee Police Department, the Glendale Police Department, the Oak Creek Police Department, and the Franklin Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Erica J. Lounsberry and Julie F. Stewart prosecuted the case.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
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