Michael Simon, 37, of Oakland, pleaded guilty in federal court on Sep. 29 to conspiracy to commit human trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion.
Simon was charged on May 26, 2026, with one count of conspiracy related to human trafficking. In his plea agreement, Simon admitted that between June 2023 and September 2025 he conspired with others to recruit and exploit victims for commercial sex acts through the Oakland Blade and other locations. The victims were advertised online and directed by Simon and his co-conspirators to solicit customers for commercial sex acts in hotel rooms arranged in Oakland.
According to the plea agreement, Simon used cellular phones to communicate with both clients and victims about their commercial sex work. He instructed Victim 1 and Victim 2 via text message regarding prostitution activities, including posting online advertisements for sex services and directing them where to perform these acts. The money paid for these acts was not kept by the victims; instead, they were required to surrender it. The plea states that when a victim refused instructions or failed to hand over money received from sex work, Simon physically assaulted them as punishment.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Scott Schelble announced the guilty plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ivana Djak is prosecuting the case with assistance from Amala James and Jessie Chelsea following an investigation conducted by the FBI and Oakland Police Department.
Simon’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 1, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine under federal law governing sentencing guidelines.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California serves nearly nine million residents across fifteen counties from Del Norte to Monterey through facilities in San Francisco’s Phillip Burton Federal Building as well as the Federal Courthouse in Oakland; it prosecutes federal crimes such as this case while also supporting community wellness through victim assistance programs as part of its role within the United States Department of Justice, according to its official website.