The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jamiell Sims, 30, of Monroe County, was sentenced on Jan. 17 to 151 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for participating in a conspiracy that forced or coerced women to engage in prostitution in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and for distributing heroin on four separate occasions in Monroe County.

According to U.S. Attorney David J. Freed, Sims, who used the street name “Millz,” previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion between 2011 and June 2014, and to distributing heroin on four occasions between Sept. 19, 2016, and Oct. 6, 2016.

Sims’ conviction and sentence resulted from an investigation into the activities of a street gang known as the Black P-Stones. The Black P-Stones would “beat-in” male gang members to the gang, and female members were “sexed-in” to the gang. The Black P-Stones obtained heroin in New York and distributed the heroin in Stroudsburg and locations in the state of Maine. Couriers were used to transport heroin from New York to Maine.

Women were “sexed-in” to the gang by being forced to engage in sex with male gang members; recruited and coerced to engage in prostitution; advertised as adult escorts on a website; provided with heroin and other drugs; and placed in various area hotels/motels to work as prostitutes. Male gang members used threats, force, drugs and intimidation to coerce women to engage in prostitution.

Judge Mannion also ordered the defendant to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Sims must also comply with sex offender registration and notification requirements.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Maine State Police, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office and local police in Monroe County. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.

This case was brought as part of a districtwide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.