HOUSTON – A federal jury has convicted a 47-year-old Houston man of sex trafficking four women by means of force and of taking three women across state lines to engage in prostitution, the United States Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
The jury reportedly deliberated for about three hours before convicting Larry “Lavish” Lewis following a six-day trial.
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According to investigators, Lewis used physical force and coercion to get four women to engage in prostitution on Bissonnet Street and other cities in Texas and Louisiana. The jury also learned Lewis coerced the women to cross state lines to engage in prostitution, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said.
At trial, the victims reportedly detailed how Lewis recruited them on false promises of good money and a good life. Lewis confiscated the identification cards of two women and tightly controlled access to their hotel rooms. The women said they were completely dependent on him for food, lodging and basic necessities.
“Lewis’ rules dictated where and how long they worked,” a news release said. “The women were required to give Lewis all money they earned after commercial sex dates.”
The victims detailed the consequences of breaking Lewis’ rules.
”He kicked one victim in the head into a window because he believed she disrespected him,” the release said. “During another incident, Lewis whipped the same victim with an electrical cord following an attempt to escape using his vehicle. Another victim described how Lewis broke her ribs and left bruises all over her body after receiving many beatings.”
The jury did not believe the defense claims that the women sought out Lewis because of his marketing expertise in the commercial sex industry.
U.S. District Chief Judge Randy Crane presided over the trial and set sentencing for Jan. 10, 2024. At that time, Lewis faces up to life in federal prison.
Lewis has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sebastian A. Edwards and Christine Lu are prosecuting the case. The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the FBI as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance.
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