NORFOLK, Va. - Keiawn Demarco McDonald, 24, of Virginia Beach, was sentenced today to 188 months in prison for sex trafficking a child. McDonald is the seventh and final member of this sex trafficking ring to be sentenced. The defendants were sentenced to a total of 92 years in prison (see chart below).
McDonald pleaded guilty on August 10. According to court documents, in the fall of 2015 McDonald, who is a member of a Virginia Beach-based set of the Bloods street gang, recruited a minor girl to engage in prostitution at various hotels in Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach. McDonald photographed the victim, posted online advertisements for her commercial sex services, and arranged prostitution appointments for her. McDonald also instructed the victim about how to conduct appointments with customers and monitored her activities by text message during her appointments. He coerced the victim to recruit another teenaged girl to prostitute for him as well, and required both girls to provide him with all the money they earned from their prostitution activities.
Name
Age, Hometown
Charges Convicted of
Sentencing Info
Keiawn Demarco McDonald
23, Virginia Beach
Sex Trafficking of a Child
Sentenced today to 188 months
Cordario Marcell Uzzle
23, Virginia Beach
Sex Trafficking of a Child
Sentenced on June 3 to 151 months
Darryl Trashaun Threat
22, Virginia Beach
Sex Trafficking of a Child
Sentenced on June 9 to 292 months
Tajaika R. Blackston
19, Virginia Beach
Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking of a Child
Sentenced on June 10 to 100 months
Keith Deontai Threat
22, Virginia Beach
Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking of a Child
Sentenced on September 16 to 96 months
Shade Audrey Castro
23, Virginia Beach
Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking of a Child
Sentenced on October 27 to 126 months
Gary Anthony Hassell
26, Virginia Beach
Sex Trafficking of a Child
Sentenced on October 28 to 151 months
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; John S. Adams, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney V. Kathleen Dougherty prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:16-cr-2.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
