2 LI Men Indicted For Running National Sex Trafficking Business: Feds

LONG ISLAND, NY — Two Long Island men were separately indicted in federal court for running a national sex trafficking business, and forcing women — including a minor — to perform sex acts on Long Island and throughout the country, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace announced.

Lamont Young, also known as “Paper,” was charged in an 11-count indictment on Wednesday with sex trafficking by force, sex trafficking of a minor and interstate prostitution, prosecutors said.

On Tuesday, a six-count indictment was also unsealed in federal court in Central Islip charging Michail McKen, also known as “Kells,” with sex trafficking by force and interstate prostitution, prosecutors said.

Between 2011 and at least 2021, Young recruited his victims online, sold them a dream of stability and financial wellbeing, and then once they accepted his invitation to work for him, he used violence, fraud and coercion to cause them to engage in commercial sex acts for his benefit, according to his indictment and other court filings.

At least one of his victims was a minor, who engaged in numerous sex acts on Long Island in 2016 and 2017 at Young’s direction, prosecutors said.

Young referred to the women that worked for him as a “program” or a “movement,” had numerous rules and inflicted violence on the victims when he perceived they disobeyed him.

He also had some of his victims brand themselves with tattoos, including the letter “P” for his street name “Paper,” which is a reference to cash, prosecutors said.

Between 2019 and 2022, McKen used violence and threats of violence to compel multiple women to engage in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit, according to his indictment and other court filings.

McKen often recruited sex workers in Virginia, and then caused them to travel to Long Island, where McKen is originally from, to engage in commercial sex acts, prosecutors said.

He also sent his victims all over the country to work, including Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Kentucky, Alabama and Oregon.

Of the individuals that he trafficked, McKen separated them into two tiers: high-end, experienced women, for whose services he could charge large sums of money; and lower-end, less competitive women, who often struggled with drug addiction, and for whose services McKen would charge less, prosecutors said.

McKen maintained leverage over those suffering with drug addiction by forcing them to engage in commercial sex acts in exchange for a rationed supply of narcotics that would prevent them from going through complete withdrawal, prosecutors said.

Young was arrested Thursday on Long Island and was arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge James M. Wicks. Young in court in Central Islip, was ordered detained pending trial.

He was listed as having residences in Hauppauge, Central Islip and Patchogue.

McKen was arrested Wednesday morning in Arizona and will make his initial appearance in federal court in Phoenix, officials said.

At the time of his arrest, law enforcement recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun from the Mercedes-Benz vehicle he was driving.

"As alleged, Young and McKen each ran a national sex trafficking business, including on Long Island, forcing vulnerable females into commercial sex work for the defendants’ financial benefit," said Peace. "These indictments demonstrate that the United Stated Attorney’s Office is committed to working with both local and federal partners to ensure that sex trafficking on Long Island is not tolerated, and those who engage in such violent, cruel crimes are held accountable."

If convicted, Young and McKen face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to life in prison.

In addition to forcing victims to engage in sex work, in 2020 and 2021, McKen also engaged in fraud, applying for or directing others to apply for countless small business and paycheck protection (or “PPP”) loans, prosecutors said.

These applications were filed in the names of prior sex workers, at times even without their knowledge, in his own name and in the name of his business. And while he was doing this, without any known legitimate employment, the defendant was posting pictures on Instagram of himself with stacks of cash, like the pictures below, and driving a Lamborghini.

On Feb. 19, the McKen was arrested for burglary in Arizona, after a man reported that there was a strange man in his home without permission. At the same time of the call, a different officer reported that in the same area, when he was trying to make a vehicle stop, the owner, who turned out to be the McKen, abandoned his vehicle, which was a 2019 Rolls-Royce, and ran, documents said.

A subsequent search of the McKen's Rolls-Royce, which he abandoned in order to hide in the man's home, revealed that there was a backpack on the front passenger seat floorboard, which contained a loaded black Ruger. Notwithstanding the fact that the defendant is a convicted felon, he was released from custody, prosecutors said.

If you are a victim of trafficking—whether by Young, McKen or someone else— and have information to provide, please contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is prepared to help regardless of your immigration status, at tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.