Man Sentenced After Sex Trafficking Women In Suffolk: DA

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — A Brooklyn man, originally from Barbados, was sentenced Friday after a jury found him guilty of using drugs and physical violence to compel a woman to engage in sex acts for money, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Michael Howell, 65, was sentenced to 13 to 29 years in prison after he was found guilty of sex trafficking and other related charges, Tierney said.

The evidence at trial established that from about April 2023 through February 2024, Howell forced the woman to engage in sexual acts with others for money in Suffolk County and other counties, the DA said.

Howell rented hotel rooms and posted advertisements depicting her on websites typically used to advertise sex for money, Tierney said.

To gain control over her, Howell gave her crack-cocaine and heroin and would take any money from the sexual acts that she was forced to perform, the DA said.

When she refused to engage in sexual acts, Howell resorted to physical violence and threats to gain her compliance, including slamming her head into a wall, the DA said.

During the time Howell maintained control over the woman, he also told her that she owed him money for the drugs that he provided to her and for the hotel room that she stayed in, the DA said.

At the time of his arrest on February 1, 2024, Howell was found to be in possession of fentanyl and a large quantity of cocaine, Tierney said.

On August 26, Tierney said, Howell was convicted after a jury trial heard before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen Wilutis on charges including two counts of sex traffickng, Class B felonies; one count of second-degree promoting prostitution, a Class C felony; one count of third-degree promoting prostitution, a Class D felony; one count of fourth degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a Class C felony; and one count of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a Class A misdemeanor, Tierney said.

On Friday, Howell was sentenced to a combined sentence of 13 to 29 years in prison and will have to register as a sex offender, the DA said. The United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also lodged a detainer to deport Howell after he serves his sentence, the DA said.

He was represented by Christopher Gioe, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“The defendant used drugs and violence to exploit and dehumanize a vulnerable victim for his own profit,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Today’s sentence reflects our commitment to pursuing justice for survivors and holding traffickers fully accountable.”