Federal Judge Finds Milwaukee Man Guilty of Sex Trafficking and Arson

United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad announced that on October 28, 2024, United States District Court Judge Lynn Adelman found Bobby McNeil (age 45) guilty of all five counts with which he was charged, which were Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion; Arson in Furtherance of a Federal Felony; Arson of a Building/Rental Property; Interstate Transportation for the Purpose of Prostitution; and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. Judge Adelman announced the verdict after a two-day bench trial that concluded on October 16, 2024.

The evidence presented at trial established that between 2021 and 2022, McNeil used force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion to compel an adult female victim to engage in commercial sex acts on the south side of Milwaukee. He also induced the victim to travel from Florida back to Wisconsin to engage in further commercial sex acts. McNeil also committed a retaliatory act of arson by throwing a Molotov cocktail into the home of another adult who attempted to help the female victim get away from McNeil. In rendering his verdict, Judge Adelman pointed to numerous text messages, Facebook messages, and recorded messages the defendant made and sent that corroborated the trafficking victim's testimony and reflected the defendant's intentions and violence.

McNeil's sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 4, 2025, before Judge Adelman. McNeil faces a maximum life term of imprisonment and a mandatory minimum of 25 years of imprisonment.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Milwaukee Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Abbey M. Marzick and Porchia S. Lewand prosecuted the case.

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