Texas man pleads guilty to sex trafficking charges in Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS — Following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans, a Texas man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion in the Eastern District of Louisiana Jan. 30.
According to court documents, Gregory Massey, 30, and his girlfriend and co-defendant Patricia Hart, forced two adult victims to engage in commercial sex in different locations during 2021 and 2022. Massey and Hart advertised them for commercial sex on websites, kept the money they made from commercial sex transactions, required them to meet minimum earnings thresholds every day, and restricted their access to food. Massey also tracked the victims’ locations using geolocation data on their phones so they could not leave and used violence to accomplish the scheme.
“I’m proud of the diligent work our special agents put into protecting the victims and investigating the perpetrators behind this trafficking scheme,” said HSI New Orleans acting Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune. “HSI is fully committed to working with our law enforcement partners to rescue victims and aggressively investigate allegations of human trafficking. We encourage anyone who has information related to human trafficking to report it to law enforcement immediately.”
Massey and Hart were arrested in New Orleans in April 2022; while Massey was in custody, Hart conspired with him on recorded jail calls to engage in sex trafficking, including by locking one victim outside, hitting her, withholding her identity documents and scaring her with a firearm.
Massey is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21. As part of his plea agreement, he will serve 22 years and six months in prison followed by eight years of supervised release.
He also agreed to pay $128,800 in restitution to the victims and must register as a sex offender.
Hart also pleaded guilty in November 2023 to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. Her sentencing is scheduled for March 26.
The investigation was conducted by HSI New Orleans; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Louisiana State Police. U.S. Trial Attorney Melissa E. Bücher of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria M. Carboni for the Eastern District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
HSI encourages the public to report any suspicious activity through its toll-free tip line at 866-347-2423 or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock. From outside the United States and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users may call TTY 802-872-6196.
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.
Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)
