HAMMOND – Anthony Mayers, 36, of Gary, Indiana, was convicted of six felony counts after a nine-day jury trial before United States District Judge Philip P. Simon, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Mayers was found guilty of four counts of sex trafficking, one count of forced labor, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later time.
“We are thankful for the jury’s careful deliberation and attention to detail on each specific count after hearing very difficult evidence and arguments of counsel over a period of nine days. Verdicts like this in extremely serious cases only happen after the superior investigative work of our law‑enforcement partners, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals, the Harvey (Illinois) Police Department, Gary Police Department, and the Lake County Prosecutor Office led by Bernard A. Carter. These partners worked tirelessly to uncover the truth. That partnership allowed the legal team of Trial Attorney Matthew Thiman of the DOJ Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caitlin M. Padula and Nadia Wardrip for the Northern District of Indiana to prosecute the case. Most of all, we are thankful for the cooperation of the brave witnesses and survivors of crime who testified in this most difficult case,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
“Traffickers rely on fear and violence to control their victims, but none of that will stop the FBI from bringing them to justice,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “This criminal preyed on vulnerable women, abused them, and profited off their suffering. The FBI will relentlessly pursue violent offenders like him, break apart the coercive systems they build, and ensure they are held fully accountable for every act of harm they inflict.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tabacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshalls, Harvey (Illinois) Police Department, Gary Police Department, and the Lake County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office led by Bernard A. Carter. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Caitlin M. Padula, Assistant United States Attorney Nadia Wardrip, and Trial Attorney Matthew Thiman of the Department of Justice, Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Northern District of Indiana — U.S. Department of Justice press release.