A Houston man, Michael Ramone Hooks, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the sentencing following Hooks' guilty plea on September 27, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake imposed the sentence after considering victim letters. In addition to his prison term, Hooks must pay $6,087 in restitution to a known victim and will be under supervised release for ten years post-incarceration. During this period, he will face restrictions on internet access and contact with minors and must register as a sex offender.
Hooks admitted to using Instagram, text messages, and video calls to recruit a 16-year-old for prostitution. He communicated with her via cell phone and attempted to lure her away from another trafficker, Antonio Dario Osario-Avelar, also known as Pressure. Prior discussions between Hooks and the victim confirmed that he was aware of her age.
Authorities arrested Hooks in August 2023 before the minor could join him. Osario-Avelar had previously been sentenced to over 31 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks for related offenses.
"This case is a reminder that sex trafficking is happening in our city," said Ganjei. "Our larger goal is nothing short of putting the Houston sex trafficking trade completely out of business."
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations with support from the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA) and Houston Police Department (HPD). Assistant U.S. Attorney Celia Moyer and former AUSA Sherri Zack prosecuted the case.
HTRA includes members from various law enforcement agencies such as HPD, FBI, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS Criminal Investigation among others. Established in 2004 by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Houston, HTRA aims to combat human trafficking through collaboration with federal, state, local agencies and non-governmental organizations.