Bloods Gang Member, Internet Pimp Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison

COLUMBIA, SC—United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Joshua “Metro” Kitt, age 24, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced today in federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, for conspiracy to commit racketeering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code Sections 1962(d) and 1963(a). United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. of Columbia sentenced Kitt to 168 months’ imprisonment (14 years), followed by three years of supervised release. Kitt pled guilty to this charge in April earlier this year.

Evidence presented at the change of plea and sentencing hearings established that Kitt was beaten into the Bloods street gang when he was only 14 years old. The evidence in the case demonstrated that after Kitt became a member of the gang, he participated in acts of drug trafficking, robberies, and interstate prostitution of minors on behalf of and for the benefit of himself and other members and associates of the Bloods street gang.

The driving force behinds Kitt’s sentence was his participation in an online prostitution ring orchestrated by members of the Bloods gang. According to information in the indictment and evidence presented at Kitt’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, gang members recruited women, some of whom were under the age of 18, for the purpose of posting them on the online Internet site www.backpage.com. The gang members would then act as pimps by managing the girls’ profits and also providing security for the girls while they met with “johns” or customers who purchased time with the women online. According to the pleadings and based on evidence at Kitt’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, Kitt conspired with several other gang members to engage in this type of Internet prostitution, and, in at least one instance, Kitt and his fellow gang members employed a minor as a prostitute.

Kitt also admitted to committing acts of drug trafficking (marijuana) and robbery on behalf of and for the benefit of himself and other members and associates of the Bloods street gang.

The racketeering case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Richland County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys JD Rowell, Mark C. Moore and William Witherspoon of the Columbia Office prosecuted the case.