A Lake Worth resident was sentenced to life in prison today, after having been convicted at trial of sex trafficking and obstruction of a sex trafficking investigation.

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, David Aronberg, State Attorney for Palm Beach County, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, (FBI), Miami Field Office and Ric Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) made the announcement.

Alston Orlando Leroy Williams, 42, of Lake Worth, Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg to five life sentences and an additional 20 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release (Case No. 18-CR-80053).  In December of 2018, Williams was convicted by a federal trial jury of two counts of sex trafficking of a minor in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591(a)(1) and (b)(2), three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591(a)(1) and (b)(1), and one count of obstructing a human trafficking investigation, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1591(d).

According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, from 2008 through 2017, Williams trafficked multiple women, including two juveniles, for commercial sex throughout Florida.  Williams had the women live at his homes and travel to hotels and other locations to meet adult men and engage in sexual acts for money.  Williams used force, violence and coercion to traffic the women and kept all of the money earned by the victims.  He was arrested on November 29, 2017 on related state charges, before being charged and convicted federally.

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigation efforts of the FBI, PBSO, and the Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force in this matter.  Mrs. Fajardo Orshan thanked Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg for the 15th Judicial Circuit and his staff for their assistance with this investigation.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

Today, a West Palm Beach federal jury convicted a Lake Worth resident of sex trafficking and obstruction of a sex trafficking investigation.

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, David Aronberg, State Attorney for Palm Beach County, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, (FBI), Miami Field Office and Ric Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) made the announcement.

Alston Orlando Leroy Williams, 42, of Lake Worth, Florida, was convicted at trial of two counts of sex trafficking of a minor in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591(a)(1) and (b)(2), three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591(a)(1) and (b)(1), and one count of obstructing a human trafficking investigation, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1591(d) (Case No. 18-CR-80053). The sentencing hearing, to be held before U.S. District Court Judge Robin L. Rosenberg, will be scheduled at a later date.  At sentencing, Williams faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a combined statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.  

            According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, from 2008 through 2017, Williams trafficked multiple women, including two juveniles, for commercial sex throughout Florida.  Williams had the women live at his homes and travel to hotels and other locations to meet adult men and engage in sexual acts for money.  Williams used force, violence and coercion to traffic the women and kept all of the money earned by the victims.  He was arrested on November 29, 2017 on related state charges, before being charged and convicted federally.

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigation efforts of the FBI, PBSO, and the Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force in this matter.  Mrs. Fajardo Orshan thanked Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg for the 15th Judicial Circuit and his staff for their assistance with this investigation.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

 

A Lake Worth man has been charged federally with sex trafficking a minor and adults, and labor trafficking. 

Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Dave Aronberg, State Attorney of Palm Beach County, Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and Ric Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, (PBSO), made the announcement.

Alston Orlando Leroy Williams, 42, of Lake Worth, who has been living between Broward and Palm Beach Counties, was charged by indictment with one count of sex trafficking of a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1591(a)(1) and (b)(2), three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, in violation of Title 18, United State Code, Section 1591(a)(1) and (b)(2), and one count of forced labor trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1589(a).  If convicted Williams faces a statutory maximum term of life in prison.  Williams is currently being detained without bond pending further court proceedings in U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach.

            According to court records, from 2008 through 2017, Williams allegedly trafficked multiple women, including one as young as 16 years old, for sex throughout south Florida.  Williams had the women live at his homes and travel to hotels and other locations to meet adult men and engage in sex for money.  Williams allegedly used force, violence and coercion to traffic the women and kept all of the money they earned.  He was arrested on November 29, 2017 on related state charges, before being charged federally.

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigatory efforts of the FBI and PBSO, and thanked the Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force and the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office for their commitment to combatting these offenses.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Schiller and Special Assistant United States Attorney Justin Hoover.

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. 

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.