TULSA, Okla. (KWCH) – A U.S. district court judge in Tulsa, Okla., sentenced a 37-year-old Wichita man to 30 years (360 months) in prison following his conviction for sex trafficking and witness tampering.

In Augusta 2023, a jury found Byron Cordell Thomas guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, two counts of witness tampering by corrupt persuasion, four counts of transporting a person for the purpose of prostitution, and two counts of forcible sex trafficking, fraud. or coercion.

A news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma stated that from 2019 to 2022, “Thomas recruited young, vulnerable victims to work under his direction as prostitutes.”

“He targeted the victim’s financial difficulties or addiction issues and sold the dream of a safe or sober environment just to attract them. Thomas would transport victims across state lines, training them to avoid the police and how to recruit others for him. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office retained full control of the money earned through physical violence or physiological duress,” he said.

Federal prosecutors say Thomas traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Bossier City, La. to shelter victims and run an operation involving trafficking and prostitution. and said he was getting hotel rooms in Wichita.

One of the women identified as a victim in the case told police that Thomas and another victim picked her up in Topeka and drove her to Tulsa, where she was forced into prostitution and not allowed to leave.

Last summer, a jury deliberated for nearly two hours before convicting Thomas on nine charges..

“The victims in this case were beaten, isolated, and trafficked across state lines for the purpose of prostitution. Following the jury’s verdict, U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson said they were subjected to threats and intimidation from Thomas even throughout the investigation. “We thank our law enforcement partners for their long and robust investigation of this case and “I want to thank the victims for their brave testimony that made this conviction possible.”

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