FORT PIERCE, Fla. - An indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in Fort Pierce, Florida, charging a man from Florida with 10 counts of sex trafficking.
According to the Department of Justice, Shannima Yuantrell Session, also known as Shalamar, aged 46 and residing in Lake Placid, was allegedly involved in trafficking seven women and three girls from 2011 to 2019. Session is allegedly accused of using violent and threatening tactics to lure his victims, as well as offering drugs, employment, and romantic relationships. After gaining compliance from individuals, Session allegedly trafficked them for sex in rural areas of Highlands County for personal gain.
A court docket from the Highlands Clerk's office may be a list of the charges against Session. The list on the docket includes: three counts of tampering/harassing witness victim or informant, two counts of domestic battery, one count of violation condition (sic) of pretrial release, two counts of kidnapping (facilitate felony), one count of sexual battery by 18y older via 18 year older (sic).
However, without a release of the indictment or the Department of Justice releasing their charges, it is unknown for sure what the charges, if any, may be.
Join the conversation. Click here to join our Facebook group.If found guilty, Session could receive a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison along with a maximum of lifetime supervised release, or a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Session is currently in custody awaiting trial. The Justice Department says that the determination of any sentence will be made by a federal district judge, who will take into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI Miami Field Office, with the help of the Highlands County Sheriff's Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover from the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Leah Branch and Elizabeth Hutson from the Civil Rights Division's Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
According to a 2019 report from local Florida newspaper The Highlands News-Sun, a man from the same city as Session with the same name was previously arrested in 2019 for a parole violation. However, it is unknown for sure if this is the same Session.
An indictment is an accusation or charge that has been made. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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