Skip to main content

Brooklyn Man Pleads to Guilty to Forcing Underage Girls Into Prostitution in New York

William Johnson, also known as “Dollar Bill,” pleaded guilty today to sex trafficking of a minor between August 2010 and September 2010. The plea was entered this morning before United States District Judge Roslynn R. Mauskopf at the U.S. Courthouse in Brooklyn. When sentenced, the defendant faces a minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment, as well as forfeiture of his residence and other property used in the commission of his criminal conduct.

The guilty plea was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Janice K. Fedarcyk, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office; and Raymond W. Kelly, Commissioner, New York City Police Department.

At today’s proceeding, the defendant admitted to harboring a 15-year-old girl in his home in St. Albans, Queens, between August and September 2010, and having the victim work for him as a prostitute.

As alleged in the government’s pleadings, the defendant generated customers for his prostitution business by posting advertisements listed under “erotic services” or “escort services” on Internet websites. The advertisements included photographs of scantily clad women or girls in suggestive poses. The defendant also took live videos of the women and girls engaging in pole-dancing in his St. Albans residence, which could then be accessed online for a fee paid by customers. On September 21, 2010, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence and found two women who had engaged in prostitution for the defendant. Agents seized, among other items, two “stripper poles” and over 100 videotapes and DVDs, many of which contained video footage of the defendant engaging in sexual activity with young women and girls.

“Today’s guilty plea affirms our commitment to using the full force of federal law and authority to deter and punish the exploitation of children in the sex trade and to eradicate child sex trafficking,” stated United States Attorney Lynch.

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Fedarcyk stated, “Mr. Johnson, also known as ‘Dollar Bill,’ created a haven that was far from a safe place, but rather a den of sexual exploitation. He intentionally preyed upon the innocence of youth for his own financial gain by creating a prostitution ring and sexually explicit images. The FBI will continue to rigorously investigate and bring to prosecution all those who engage in illicit sexual conduct with children, as well as identify and rescue victims of these crimes.”

NYPD Commissioner Kelly stated, “Few crimes are as reprehensible as the sexual exploitation of children for money. This was one ‘Dollar Bill’ that law enforcement was happy to take out of circulation.”

The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Licha M. Nyiendo, Melissa B. Marrus, and Kathleen A. Nandan.

The Defendant:
Name: WILLIAM JOHNSON
Age: 50

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

15 Gang Members Convicted on Conspiracy, Weapons Possession, Firearms Trafficking Charges Case Follows Recent Convictions of 137th Street Crew and East Harlem Narcotics Trafficking Organization

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., announced the results of the investigation and prosecution of one of Central Harlem’s most destructive criminal street gangs, referred to as “ONE TWENTY-NINE” or “GOODFELLAS/THE NEW DONS,” which terrorized the neighborhood surrounding West 129th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues. Thirteen members of the gang have previously pleaded guilty to importing, possessing, and using firearms over the course of the conspiracy.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY VANCE ANNOUNCES INDICTMENT OF SIX SUBCONTRACTING COMPANIES AND THEIR OWNERS IN MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR FRAUD

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictments of six subcontracting companies and their owners for colluding with LEHR CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION (LEHR) in a multimillion dollar scheme that defrauded numerous construction clients over the past decade. See, related story. The announcement comes one day after DA Vance announced LEHR and four executives were indicted on crimes including Enterprise Corruption, the New York State Racketeering law. GODSELL CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION and its owner ARTHUR GODSELL are charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree. JT ROSELLE LIGHTING, INC. and its owner JAMES ROSELLE, LIBERTY CONTRACTING CORPORATION and its owners GEORGE FOTIADIS and KEVIN FOTIADIS, PJ MECHANICAL and its owner JAMES PAPPAS, SUPERIOR ACOUSTICS, INC. and its owner KENNETH MCGUIGAN, and SWEENEY & HARKIN CARPENTRY and its owner MICHAEL HAYES are charged with Grand Larceny in the Third Degree.[1] "The defendants in this case cheated clie...

Mortgage Fraud

Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau announced today the indictment of 13 individuals and a mortgage origination company for perpetrating over $100 million in mortgage fraud over a four-year period in the New York City metropolitan area. In addition, 12 individuals have already waived indictment and pleaded guilty to felonies relating to their participation in the mortgage fraud scheme. The indictment charges 13 individuals and the mortgage company, AFG FINANCIAL GROUP, INC., with enterprise corruption, grand larceny, scheme to defraud and conspiracy involving 19 fraudulent mortgage transactions. The defendants include the principals and a number of employees of the mortgage company, as well as bank employees, appraisers, and three attorneys. Two other attorneys are among the defendants who already pleaded guilty. The crimes charged in the indictment occurred between June 2004 and April 2009 with the bulk of the fraudulent closings occurring from mid-2005 through the end of...