A 58-year-old registered sex offender, Paul Edwards Evans, also known as Blue Diamond, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for aiding and abetting the transportation of a woman across state lines for prostitution and failing to comply with the Sex Offender Registration Act. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Evans pleaded guilty on May 29. U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt handed down a sentence of 120 months in prison. During sentencing, the court considered that Evans had involved two family members in what was described as a family business trafficking women for commercial sex acts.
The offenses occurred in the Bissonnet street area of Houston and other cities between Texas and California, including Las Vegas, Nevada. The area near I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street in Houston is known as “the blade” or “track,” where traffickers often place victims for commercial sex.
As part of his plea agreement, Evans admitted he did not notify authorities when traveling from state to state, as required by law for registered sex offenders.
Evans will remain in custody until he is transferred to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Wirsing prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Houston Police Department (HPD) as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA), with help from the Santa Barbara Police Department in California.
HTRA includes multiple agencies such as HPD, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor divisions, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Social Security Administration – OIG, sheriff’s offices in Harris and Montgomery counties, and district attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
According to the United States Attorney’s office in Houston, HTRA was established in 2004 to combine resources among federal, state and local enforcement agencies along with non-governmental organizations to target human traffickers while providing services to victims. Since its creation it has been recognized nationally and internationally for its work identifying victims and prosecuting trafficking offenses.
