Following a nine-day trial, a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida has convicted Shannima Yuantrell Session, also known as Shalamar, 47, from Lake Placid, Florida. He was found guilty on 13 charges related to sex trafficking nearly a dozen women and girls. Session compelled some victims to commit commercial sex acts between July 2011 and July 2013, while others were forced into similar acts between February 2016 and February 2019.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division commented on the case: “The defendant used despicable and horrific means to terrify and coerce nearly a dozen women and girls to engage in commercial sex.” She added that this prosecution reflects the department's commitment to protecting vulnerable victims from exploitation.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida emphasized the importance of addressing human trafficking: “Human trafficking is a crime of exploitation. We will not allow human traffickers to prey upon others for profit.”
Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office described the verdict as "a step towards justice for the nearly dozen victims who were forced by Shannima Yuantrell Session into sex trafficking." He acknowledged the cooperation among various law enforcement agencies that led to this outcome.
During the trial, evidence showed that Session made false promises of legitimate work and housing assistance to vulnerable women and girls. These promises allowed him to exploit their vulnerabilities for his gain. Victims were coerced into commercial sex acts in poor conditions such as squalid trailers or local orange groves.
Session controlled his victims through food deprivation and housing restrictions. For instance, he denied one victim food if she did not comply with his demands. He also subjected them to sexual activity with himself after they had been forced into intercourse with multiple men.
Extreme physical violence was another method Session used for control. Evidence presented at trial included instances where he punched victims in ways that would not leave visible marks, beat one victim with a metal nutcracker until she collapsed, choked another until she lost consciousness, and assaulted others with weapons like baseball bats.
Session also used firearms for intimidation. On one occasion, he pointed a gun at a victim while driving and threatened her life when she questioned his treatment of her.
Substance abuse was another tool Session exploited; he provided drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine to keep victims compliant during their commercial sex activities.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 19. Session faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison up to life imprisonment along with mandatory restitution. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case with help from Highlands County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover along with Trial Attorneys Leah Branch and Matthew Thiman are prosecuting.
Anyone with information about human trafficking can report it to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org for more information on combating human trafficking efforts by the Justice Department at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.