A Manhattan man, Shymell Ephron, also known as “Shy," has been convicted by a jury for multiple charges including sexual abuse and drug distribution. Ephron faced trial before U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett, where he was found guilty on several counts: two counts of enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, and two counts of distributing methamphetamine to a minor. The sentencing is scheduled for September 19, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky stated, “As a unanimous jury found, Shymell Ephron lured two runaway teenagers back to his apartment in Harlem, where he repeatedly raped and sexually abused them for five days while plying them with methamphetamine and alcohol. Thanks to the FBI and the NYPD, the girls were eventually found and returned to their parents. I commend these young women for the bravery they showed by testifying at trial. This Office is committed to keeping the children of New York City safe from sexual predators, and thanks to the hard work of the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners, the support of victim services specialists of this Office, and the willingness of the victims to speak up, Ephron has now been convicted for his egregious conduct and will face justice for the harm he caused.”
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that between May and July 2024, Ephron was involved in distributing narcotics including methamphetamine and cocaine in Times Square and other locations in New York City. On May 17, 2024, he encountered two runaway teenage girls in Times Square and persuaded them to come to his residence in Harlem. Over several days, Ephron committed multiple acts of forcible rape and sexual abuse while providing the girls with drugs and alcohol. He used a cellphone to track and communicate with the girls about narcotics and to entice them back to his apartment each night.
Ephron, 35, was found guilty of two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, each carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years up to a life sentence; one count of narcotics conspiracy with a potential sentence of 20 years; and two counts of distributing narcotics to a minor, each carrying a mandatory sentence of at least one year and up to 40 years in prison. However, the ultimate sentence will be determined by a judge as mandated by Congress.
Podolsky acknowledged the efforts of the FBI’s Westchester Safe Streets Task Force and the NYPD. He also expressed gratitude towards the New York State Police and the Yorktown Police Department for their role in the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison, Lisa Daniels, Michael R. Herman, and Andrew W. Jones leading the prosecution.