Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking

A Detroit man pleaded guilty today to conspiring with others to force and coerce at least 6 women to engage in prostitution in the Detroit area, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider.

Schneider was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.

Pleading guilty was Jhamall K. McGaughy, 37.

According to court records, McGaughy admitted that he recruited women whom he knew struggled with drug addictions and used that addiction for his profit. McGaughy gave drugs to them at first, including heroin and crack cocaine, but then required them to work as prostitutes in order to get money to buy more drugs from him. McGaughy knew that the women would suffer from excruciating withdrawal symptoms, known as being “dope-sick,” if they did not receive regular doses of drugs, and he manipulated the supply of drugs to keep them on the edge of dope-sickness to coerce them into acts of prostitution. McGaughy also used force against some of the women if they tried to purchase drugs from other suppliers.

Under the terms of McGaughy’s plea agreement, he is looking at a minimum of 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 5, 2020.

The case was investigated by special agents of the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas Franzinger and Dan Hurley.