Markenzy Lapointe U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida
Shannima Yuantrell Session, also known as Shalamar, from Lake Placid, Florida, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for sex trafficking nearly a dozen women and girls. A jury in the Southern District of Florida previously found him guilty on 10 counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and three counts involving minors. A restitution hearing is scheduled for April 17.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael S. Davis for the Southern District of Florida emphasized the priority of protecting victims of human trafficking and child exploitation. He stated, "We are committed to aggressively combating these exploitative crimes that victimize the most vulnerable people in our society."
Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office remarked on the severity of Session's actions and praised the cooperation among law enforcement agencies involved in the case.
Evidence presented during a nine-day trial demonstrated that Session compelled victims into commercial sex acts between July 2011 and July 2013, as well as February 2016 to February 2019. He made false promises of work and housing assistance to women and girls with unstable lives, exploiting their vulnerabilities.
Session controlled his victims through food deprivation and coerced them into sexual activities. Evidence showed he resorted to extreme physical violence against some victims, including beating them with metal objects and threatening them with firearms.
The FBI Miami Field Office led the investigation with support from the Highlands County Sheriff's Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover along with Trial Attorneys Leah Branch and Matthew Thiman from the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Individuals with information about human trafficking are encouraged to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
