A Pittsburgh resident, Eric Jefferson, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for sex trafficking multiple women. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan on January 30, 2025. Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced the conviction.
Court documents revealed that between June 2019 and April 2022, Jefferson coerced at least four women into performing commercial sex work for his financial benefit. He supplied the women with drugs to meet clients and withheld these substances if they refused to comply. Additionally, Jefferson used violence and threats to enforce compliance.
"Eric Jefferson forced these women to earn money on his behalf, controlling the victims both through physical force and exploiting their dependence upon narcotics," stated Acting United States Attorney Rivetti. "Working with our law enforcement partners, we will aggressively prosecute human traffickers such as Jefferson in order to protect and rescue the most vulnerable victims in our district."
FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek emphasized the agency's commitment: "Protecting the most vulnerable members of our community will always be among the highest priorities for the FBI. The message this sentencing sends is clear: the FBI and our partners will aggressively pursue criminals who think they can prey on others."
Before sentencing, Judge Ranjan listened to statements from the victims about the severe impact of Jefferson’s actions.
Assistant United States Attorney DeMarr Moulton prosecuted the case. The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
This case is part of Operation T.E.N. (Trafficking Ends Now), a coalition aiming to end human trafficking through education and collaboration across agencies within Pennsylvania's Western District.
