Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Running Interstate Prostitution Ring

COLUMBIA, SC—United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that George McLeod, III, a/k/a “Pimpstick Quezzy,” age 30, of Columbia, pled guilty today in federal court in Columbia, to interstate transportation for the purpose of prostitution, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2421, and aggravated identity theft, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A. United States District Judge Joseph Anderson of Columbia accepted the plea. The court will impose sentence after reviewing the presentence report, which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that McLeod engaged in running a prostitution ring that transported young women from South Carolina into other states. McLeod posted the females on the Internet website Backpage.com and traveled to various hotels and strip clubs in South Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida. The women engaged in acts of prostitution in the various locations and gave the income to McLeod. The evidence presented also established that McLeod arranged a fraudulent South Carolina identification card for one of the women so that she could obtain employment in a strip club.

Mr. Nettles stated the maximum penalty McLeod can receive is a fine of $250,000 and/or imprisonment for 12 years, plus a special assessment of $200.

The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney T. DeWayne Pearson of the Columbia office handled the case.