Please E-mail suggested additions, comments and/or corrections to Kent@MoreLaw.Com.
Date: 06-07-2023
Case Style:
Case Number: 4:22-cr-00167
Judge: Lee Rosenthal
Court: United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas (Harris County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: United States Attorney’s Office in Houston
Defendant's Attorney:
Description: Houston, Texas criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant charged with conspiracy to traffic an adult female for sex by force, fraud or coercion.
Samaria Kearney was under the influence of another person, engaging in prostitution and causing others to become victims of sex trafficking. Kearney participated in controlling the victim.
Kearney's boyfriend and co-defendant Aryion Dupree Jackson received a 324-month-prison term for his participation in this case and an additional sex trafficking case involving minor females.
Between June and July 2020, while Jackson was in custody in Harris County, Kearney controlled a victim for him. He had directed her to do so in recorded calls from the jail. The plan was to put this victim on “the blade,” an area known for prostitution, and cause her to engage in commercial sex. However, the victim escaped and called police.
Kearney was responsible for driving the victim to a hotel, taking her phone and documents, threatening the victim and her family and chasing her down when she tried to escape. During that chase, Kearney was on the phone with Jackson.
Kearney will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be designated in the near future.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherri L. Zack and Kimberly Ann Leo prosecuted the case.
The FBI conducted the investigation as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA).
HTRA law enforcement includes members of the Houston Police Department, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor (DOL), DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT SEX TRAFFICKING
(1)
Outcome: Defendant was sentenced to 72 months in prison. Supervised Release for a Term of FIVE (5) years, Fine is WAIVED and Special Assessment is REMITTED.
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: