Jacksonville Jury Convicts Man of Sex Trafficking of Minors and Transporting Minors Across State Lines for Prostitution

JACKSONVILLE, FL—U.S. Attorney Brian A. Albritton today announced that a jury has found Marvin Leigh Madkins guilty of two counts of sex trafficking of minors and one count of transporting minors across state lines for prostitution. Madkins faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on June 15, 2009.

According to evidence presented at trial, Madkins recruited two minors from the state of Virginia to engage in prostitution in Virginia and Jacksonville, Florida, knowing that force, fraud, or coercion would be used to cause the minors to engage in commercial sex acts. Madkins promised the minors that if they would serve as prostitutes in Virginia for a short period of time, they and he would earn enough money to go to Florida for an extravagant vacation. Madkins also told the minors that, once in Florida, he would obtain cocaine, sell it, and use the proceeds from the drug sales to fund trips to Miami, Atlanta, and New York.

After Madkin's engaged the minors in prostitution in Virginia, the minors rode with Madkins on a Greyhound Bus to Jacksonville using false names on tickets Madkins obtained. Within days of their arrival in Jacksonville, the minors were required to engage in prostitution to pay for hotels, food, and other items. Madkins engaged the minors in prostitution from a number of local hotels and obtained multiple customers using various methods, including internet postings on Craig's List.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mac D. Heavener, III and Nicholas A. Pilgrim.