HOUSTON – A Houston man convicted of sex trafficking four women by means of force and of taking three women across state lines to engage in prostitution has learned his sentence.
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Larry “Lavish” Lewis, the self-proclaimed “King of Bissonnet,” was sentenced to 40 years in prison after he physically forced women to engage in prostitution in both Houston and Louisiana, according to FBI Houston.
#BREAKING Larry "Lavish" Lewis, the self-proclaimed "King of Bissonnet," won't be living much of a lavish life for the next 4 decades...
— FBI Houston (@FBIHouston) May 22, 2024
He was just sentenced to 40 years in prison after he physical forced women to engage in prostitution in both Houston and Louisiana. #HouNews pic.twitter.com/USezTicE6R
Lewis was convicted in Oct. 2023. The jury reportedly deliberated for about three hours before convicting Lewis following a six-day trial.
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.
At trial, the victims 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.
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