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A 65-year-old Brooklyn man originally from Barbados faces up to 25 years behind bars — and possibly deportation after that — following his conviction Monday in Suffolk County on multiple charges related to sex trafficking.
Michael Howell, who prosecutors said used drugs and violence to force a victim into prostitution for nearly a year, was found guilty Tuesday of sex trafficking, promoting prostitution, and drug possession charges following a trial before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said Howell controlled his victim from about April 2023 through February 2024, compelling her to engage in sexual acts for money in locations across Suffolk and beyond.
“Michael Howell preyed upon his victim by using crack, heroin and violence to maintain control over her in order to profit from her exploitation,” Tierney said in a statement his office put out on Wednesday.
“The use of addictive substances to keep trafficking victims dependent and compliant is a particularly cruel tactic employed by human traffickers,” he added.
Pattern of control and exploitation
Trial evidence showed Howell maintained control over his victim through a combination of drug dependency and physical violence. Prosecutors said he provided the victim with crack-cocaine and heroin, then collected all of the cash earned from the sex acts she was forced to carry out.
When the victim resisted, Howell turned to physical violence to maintain his dominance over her, including slamming the woman’s head into a wall, according to court testimony. He also told the victim she owed him money for the drugs he supplied and hotel rooms where she slept.
Howell facilitated the trafficking operation by renting hotel rooms and posting advertisements featuring the victim on websites commonly used for prostitution, prosecutors said.
Arrest and charges
Howell was arrested Feb. 1, when police found him in possession of fentanyl and a large quantity of cocaine.
The jury convicted him on the following six charges:
- Two counts of Sex Trafficking (Class B felonies)
- Promoting Prostitution in the Second Degree (Class C felony).
- Promoting Prostitution in the Third Degree (Class D felony).
- Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree (Class C felony).
- Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree (Class A misdemeanor).
Sentencing and deportation effort
Howell is scheduled to be back in court on Sept. 26 for sentencing and faces up to 25 years in prison. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer to take custody of Howell for deportation after he completes his prison sentence, authorities said.
Suffolk’s sex trafficking problem
Suffolk County has been grappling with one of the worst human trafficking problems in the country, with officials in February launching a new collaborative initiative to combat the issue.
County Executive Edward Romaine and other officials announced efforts to eliminate the “silo effect” between different government agencies to improve coordination in finding missing young people and preventing them from falling victim to traffickers.
The initiative came in wake of a high-profile case involving a 14-year-old girl from East Patchogue who was allegedly kidnapped and found on a boat in Islip nearly a month later, with more than a dozen people facing criminal charges in the case.
Top photo: SCDA
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