A Jacksonville man, Erwin Phillips Burley, has been indicted on multiple federal charges related to sex trafficking and prostitution offenses. The indictment includes two counts of sex trafficking by means of force, fraud, and coercion; two counts of enticement to engage in prostitution; and seven counts of interstate transportation with intent for prostitution.
Burley, 37, had previously been convicted in 2018 for enticement to engage in prostitution and was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison. He was released to a halfway house in early 2024.
The new indictment alleges that from February 2024 through at least May 2025, Burley recruited two victims for commercial sex acts, knowing that force, fraud, or coercion would be used. It further claims he enticed the victims to travel across state lines for prostitution purposes. Additionally, it is alleged that he transported one victim between Florida and other states such as Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas several times during 2024 with the intention of engaging the victim in prostitution.
If convicted on the most serious charges—sex trafficking by force—Burley faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years up to life imprisonment per count. The enticement charges carry up to 20 years each, while the transportation charges could result in up to 10 years per count. Upon release from any prison term served, Burley would be required to spend at least five years on federal supervised release and register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe stated: “An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.”
The investigation involved several agencies: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the State Attorney’s Office for Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and Sandy Springs Police Department from Georgia. Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor will prosecute the case.
