Sex Trafficking Leader Sentenced; Ring Busted In Anne Arundel, Baltimore Counties

BALTIMORE, MD — A woman was sentenced recently for trafficking women from Washington County to Anne Arundel County and Baltimore County to participate in forced prostitution, prosecutors said.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said Kenika Danielle Leach, 33, of Baltimore will spend 15 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, distribution of a controlled dangerous substance–cocaine and receiving the earnings of a prostitute.

“Today’s sentencing is a critical step toward justice for the survivors, but they will carry these wounds for the rest of their lives,” Brown said in a March 3 press release announcing the sentencing. “I can only hope that this outcome brings some measure of closure so they can continue to heal and reclaim their lives. My Office is committed to holding traffickers accountable for the pain and suffering they inflict on our communities.”

The investigation began in December 2021. That's when a hospital notified the Baltimore Police Department that a patient alleged that the suspect had sex trafficked her from Hagerstown to the Baltimore area, Brown said.

The prosecution said it found another 10 women that the suspect trafficked from Hagerstown to hotels in Baltimore County and Anne Arundel County to perform commercial sex acts.

The attorney general said the suspect "exploited the women by providing them drugs and then insisting they repay the 'drug debts' by engaging in commercial sex acts."

The suspect also used physical violence to coerce the women into remaining obedient and loyal to her, Brown said.

“This investigation represents the dedication and relentless efforts of our officers in dismantling this human trafficking ring and bringing justice to the victims,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said in the release. “We must send a clear message that we will not tolerate such heinous crimes in our city. I commend our investigators and all of the partner agencies for their commitment to ensuring safety and accountability, and our collective efforts to combat human trafficking.”

Prosecutors said Judge Brett R. Wilson of the Circuit Court for Washington County on Feb. 26 sentenced Leach to 40 years of incarceration, suspending all but 15 years. That means Leach will be incarcerated for a decade-and-a-half.

Leach will have five years of supervised probation after her release, the attorney general said, noting that the judge ordered her to have no contact with the victims.

“Kenika Danielle Leach has more than earned every single day of her prison sentence, as she callously exploited vulnerable members of our local communities,” ICE Homeland Security Investigations Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy said in the press release. “Through an unwavering partnership with our law enforcement allies, our agents have ensured that justice is served with this decisive sentence—one that we hope will finally bring a sense of closure to the countless victims of her despicable actions. Our office will continue to fight with unrelenting force to dismantle criminal activity wherever it hides.”