United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Las Vegas, Nevada, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion.
Robert Ryan Powell, age 34, was indicted on Jan. 21, 2015. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica Duffy on Jan. 23, 2015, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment up to life imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, a mandatory minimum of 5 years up to lifetime supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment charges that between Jan. 1, 2014, and Jan. 13, 2015, in Rapid City and elsewhere, Powell caused two females to engage in commercial sex acts, for his own financial benefit.
The charges are merely accusations and Powell is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation was conducted by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case.
Powell was detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
