Multiple defendants reach plea deals in Richmond Hill sex trafficking case

Of the 17 defendants who were charged in Operation Not For Sale, 13 have reached plea deals with the Richmond Hill Municipal Court Solicitor, according to an email from Lisa Long, Richmond Hill Municipal Clerk of Court.

Operation Not For Sale was a multi-agency online undercover investigation into sex trafficking-related crimes conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, and Richmond Hill Police Department, in late January 2024.

The operation targeted sex traffickers and sex buyers in the Bryan County area. The GBI Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit and law enforcement agencies conducted the joint operation at the Holiday Inn on 4601 US Highway 17, according to police reports obtained from the Richmond Hill Police Department. GBI personnel were in contact with individuals who were going to purchase sexual acts, and once the suspect knocked on the motel door, they were arrested by law enforcement, according to the police reports.

Police arrested three people for pimping (facilitating acts of prostitution) and 14 people for pandering (or solicitation) and offered resources to 10 sex workers on site, according to the GBI press release. Pandering and pimping are both misdemeanor charges unless a minor is involved.

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What plea deals did the defendants receive?

Of the 17 defendants initially charged, 10 were fined $895 and 10 defendants had their pandering charges reduced to disorderly conduct, according to court documents and an April 23 bench trial. One defendant received two $895 fines because she was charged with pandering and possession of marijuana. Another received a $250 fine, and another didn't receive a fine.

One defendant failed to appear in court, so Long issued a warrant for his arrest on April 29. Two other defendants were charged with additional felonies, in addition to the misdemeanor pandering charges, so their cases will be heard in the Bryan County Superior Court. One defendant pled not guilty to the pandering charge and was found not guilty.

When asked why the defendants had their cases pled down, Long referred the SMN to the GBI. When reached for comment, Nelly Miles, GBI Director of Office of Public and Governmental Affairs, said in an email, "I'd ask that you check with the prosecutor for comment.  At this stage in the judicial process, the comments would need to come from them."

SMN contacted all of the defendants' attorneys but had not heard back from most by publication time.

"All I can saym it was a negotiation," David Burns, an attorney for one of the defendants, said in a phone call.

Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@Gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: 13 defendants reach plea deals in Bryan County sex trafficking case