The alleged leader of a countywide sex trafficking operation was flagged Monday for reportedly sending roughly 600 messages from a jail-issue electronic while in custody.
While incarcerated at the Fannin County Jail awaiting his December 21 arraignment on charges of using coercion, violence, and threats to force young women into prostitution, 40-year-old William McKinnley Garland of Plano was given access to a tablet. As Marisa Miller, assistant U.S. attorney, later disclosed to Magistrate Judge Kim Johnson, Garland allegedly sent approximately 600 messages to an array of individuals, including the co-defendants in his case, according to NBC 5 DFW.
Although Garland claimed he was unaware of the restrictions on his communications when questioned by Johnson, Miller successfully filed a motion to have the tablet taken away. The defendant’s earlier access to the device was reportedly the prerogative of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Garland was one of several suspects arrested on December 11 as part of a years-long investigation by the FBI and the Plano Police Department into a Collin County sex trafficking operation, as reported by The Dallas Express.
FBI agents conducted an early morning raid on a residence on Sowerby Drive in an upscale Plano neighborhood. According to neighbors, who were awakened by the sound of the FBI busting through the home’s gates and front door, the renter of the property had plenty going on at all hours of the night, from parades of visitors to streams of luxury vehicles.
“It’s time for them to leave,” one female resident, who didn’t want to be named, told NBC 5.
Two days later, indictments for coercion, enticement, and aiding and abetting charges were handed down to Garland, 24-year-old Jalen Alexander Bobo of Dallas, and 27-year-old Roberta Marie Khan of Euless, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas.
Garland and Bobo face additional charges of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. If found guilty, they might be sentenced to life in federal prison, whereas Khan could be behind bars for up to 20 years.
At his first appearance in federal court on December 19, Garland was described by an alleged victim’s family as a violent man and bemoaned how long it had taken for him to be placed behind bars, according to NBC 5.
The investigation into the alleged Collin County sex trafficking ring is still ongoing, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the authorities.
“Human trafficking is one of the most heinous crimes the FBI encounters and unfortunately, these encounters are far more common than most people realize,” said Chad Yarbrough, special agent in charge of the Dallas FBI field office, according to a news release.
“Collaboration with the Plano Police Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office was critical to identify and arrest the alleged traffickers and as we continue the investigation and move forward to prosecute the perpetrators, we hope to identify additional victims in order to provide the services and support they need to regain their dignity, identity and sense of self.”
In Dallas, human trafficking offenses have risen by 8.2% year over year, with 53 logged as of December 19, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard.
Prostitution offenses have skyrocketed, especially in northwestern Dallas, as previously covered in The Dallas Express. A total of 567 offenses have been logged, showing a yearly rise of 102.5%.
The illicit sex industry helps drive human trafficking figures, as well as represents a drain on the Dallas Police Department’s resources. Only about 3,200 officers are employed by DPD despite a City report recommending closer to 4,000.
Downtown Dallas suffers from this deficit most of all, with considerably higher rates of crime logged regularly, especially when compared to neighboring Fort Worth’s city center. The latter is reportedly patrolled by a specialized neighborhood police unit and private security guards.