Source: Office of United States Attorneys
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on January 30, 2025, to 25 years in prison for his conviction of sex trafficking, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Eric Jefferson, 41.
According to information presented to the Court, from in and around June 2019 to in and around April 2022, Jefferson coerced and forced at least four women to perform commercial sex work for his monetary gain. Jefferson provided the women with drugs for meeting clients and would withhold the drugs if the women—who were addicted to narcotics and could become ill with withdrawal symptoms—refused to meet with clients. Jefferson also used violence and threats of violence to coerce and force the women to engage in commercial sex work.
“Eric Jefferson forced these women to earn money on his behalf, controlling the victims both through physical force and exploiting their dependence upon narcotics,” said 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.”
“Protecting the most vulnerable members of our community will always be among the highest priorities for the FBI,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “The message this sentencing sends is clear: the FBI and our partners will aggressively pursue criminals who think they can prey on others.”
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Ranjan heard from the victims of the charged crimes and stressed the heinousness of Jefferson’s conduct and its devastating impacts upon the victims.
Assistant United States Attorney DeMarr Moulton prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Jefferson.
This prosecution is part of Operation T.E.N. (Trafficking Ends Now), an umbrella coalition for law enforcement, community, and non-profit partners in the 25 counties in the Western District of Pennsylvania. This coordinated effort aims to end human trafficking through education and improved cooperation across agencies and service providers, thereby enhancing the office’s ability to empower victims of human trafficking to become thriving survivors.