United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger today announced the sentence of DONTRE D’SEAN MCHENRY, a/k/a “Dontre Sean McHenry,” a/k/a “Avon,” a/k/a “Rico,” 26, to 293 months in prison for recruiting and sex trafficking teenage girls throughout Minnesota. MCHENRY pleaded guilty on October 17, 2014, and was sentenced today before Judge David S. Doty in United States District Court in Minneapolis.
“Human traffickers don’t care whom they victimize, as long as they can profit from it,” said acting Special Agent in Charge William Lowder, of HSI St. Paul. “HSI is dedicated to working with its law enforcement partners in all jurisdictions to identify, pursue, arrest and prosecute the predators involved in human trafficking.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Provinzino, who is in charge of human trafficking prosecutions, said: “Today, Dontre McHenry was held accountable for recruiting and trafficking the most vulnerable girls in our state—runaways, recent immigrants, and girls in foster care. As our recent anti-trafficking efforts show, protecting our children from violent and manipulative predators is a central mission for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners. We will continue to be aggressive in the prosecution of these cases to protect our children from manipulation and violence at the hands of these predators that causes them to be sold for sex.”
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, from at least January 2013 until March 2014, MCHENRY recruited at least three girls under the age of 18 and prostituted them for his own financial benefit. MCHENRY advertised girls on backpage.com and in chatrooms, and made a sexually-explicit video of a 15-year-old victim. MCHENRY directed the victims about how to talk to men on chat lines, what rates to charge for various sex acts, and how to set up “dates.” The victims were instructed to, and did, give all of the money they were paid for commercial sex acts to the defendant.
According to documents filed in court, on March 13, 2014, Minneapolis police executed a search warrant at a motel room in Roseville, Minnesota, which was previously occupied by MCHENRY and one of the victims. During the search, investigators discovered, among other evidence, handwritten notes and a book entitled “Pimpology: The 48 Laws of the Game.” The handwritten notes included references to trafficking and prostitution, as well as questions that referred to recruiting and coercing minors. Numerous text message conversations from customers arranging to meet with victims to purchase sex were found on the cellphones used by the defendant and the victims.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Minneapolis Police Department, the St. Paul Police Department, the Rochester Police Department, and the Roseville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura M. Provinzino and Melinda A. Williams prosecuted the case.
National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month
January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud to combine its efforts with federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement partners to combat trafficking.
As part of that anti-trafficking effort, United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger today announced the guilty plea of PHILLIP DWAYNE LLOYD, a/k/a Marcus Strong, a/k/a Philip Dwayne Loyd, a/k/a Dwayne Smith, a/k/a Alfred Woods, a/k/a “PC,” 44, for recruiting and sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl in January 2015 and for directing and producing a video of the minor engaged in sexually-explicit conduct. LLOYD, who was indicted on May 4, 2015, pleaded guilty yesterday to sex trafficking of a minor and production of child pornography before Chief Judge John R. Tunheim in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis.
Co-defendant RAQUEL MONE BELCHER, 29, also pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. Both defendants are expected to be sentenced on May 16, 2016 before Chief Judge John R. Tunheim in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Minneapolis Police Department.
United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger today also announced the guilty plea of MYKEL LAMAR HARRIS, 25, for recruiting and sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl in late 2013. HARRIS, who was indicted on October 5, 2015, pleaded guilty yesterday to sex trafficking of a minor before Judge Donovan W. Frank in U.S. District Court in St. Paul.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Provinzino is prosecuting the cases.
Defendant Information:
DONTRE D’SEAN MCHENRY, a/k/a “Dontre Sean McHenry,” a/k/a “Avon,” a/k/a “Rico,” 26
St. Paul, Minn.
Convicted:
Sex Trafficking of a Minor, 1 count
Sentenced:
293 months in prison
Lifetime supervised release
PHILLIP DWAYNE LLOYD, a/k/a Marcus Strong, a/k/a Philip Dwayne Loyd, a/k/a Dwayne Smith, a/k/a Alfred Woods, a/k/a “PC,” 44
Minneapolis, Minn.
Convicted:
Sex Trafficking of a Minor, 1 count
Production of Child Pornography, 1 count
RAQUEL MONE BELCHER, 29
Minneapolis, Minn.
Convicted:
Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking of a Minor, 1 count
MYKEL LAMAR HARRIS, 25
St. Paul, Minn.
Convicted:
Sex Trafficking of a Minor, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600