ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Woodbridge man today
for his role in a conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
“Sex traffickers often prey upon the most vulnerable victims
in our society,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern
District of Virginia. “The victims were targeted specifically because Rhymes
knew they were vulnerable and that he could exploit them, and he used fear,
coercion, and control to force them into a form of modern-day slavery. We are
grateful to the jury for their time and attention to this difficult case, and to
our trial team and investigative partners for their terrific work in pursuit of
justice for the victims in this case.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial,
Cornell Devore Rhymes, 32, conspired with others, including but not limited to
Justin Robinson and Markus Plummer, who have been previously convicted, to
forcibly sex traffic young women during the Summer of 2017. The jury found that
Rhymes used tactics such as non-consensual sex, cocaine and violence to keep
these and other young women prostituting for their benefit.
Rhymes was convicted of conspiracy to commit sex
trafficking, and sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. Prior to trial,
Rhymes pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Rhymes faces
a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 15, 2019.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum
penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after
taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern
District of Virginia, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s
Washington Field Office, Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of
Police, and Barry M. Barnard, Chief of Prince William County Police, made the
announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the
verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whitney Dougherty Russell and Raizza Ty are
prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of
the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court
documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for
the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No.
1:18-cr-22 (Rhymes), and 1:17-cr-310 (Robinson and Plummer).
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