Jury Finds Searcy Landlord Guilty of Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion and Possession With Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

LITTLE ROCK-A Searcy man has been convicted of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine at the conclusion of a two-day trial. On Tuesday, a federal jury found Thomas Ray Kelso, 74, guilty on all four counts for which he was indicted: three counts of sex trafficking and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

The jury returned their verdict after deliberating for approximately two and a half hours. United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr. presided over the trial and will sentence Kelso at a later date. Kelso faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.

"This defendant intentionally lured vulnerable victims to live in his apartments so that he could coerce sexual acts in exchange for some of life's essentials-shelter and electricity," said Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. "Once they fell behind on their rent or utility payments, or refused to continue to perform sexual acts, he turned off their power until they performed sexual acts with him. The conduct exhibited by Kelso is reprehensible and the jury's verdict sends a clear message that these crimes will not be tolerated."

Kelso was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 1, 2023. Prior to that, an investigation by the Central Arkansas Drug Task Force revealed that Kelso frequently distributed methamphetamine at an apartment complex in Searcy. Kelso, who owned the apartment complex, exploited female residents in the complex and forced them into performing sex acts in order to keep the power on their apartment, satisfy their rent obligations, or obtain illegal narcotics.

The investigation also revealed that when one woman refused Kelso's sexual advances, he pulled her electricity meter to cut her power. Kelso also employed one woman to recruit other women for him so he could exploit them to engage in performing sexual acts on him.

The statutory penalty for each sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion carries a mandatory minimum sentence of not less than 15 years and no more than 30 years in prison. The statutory penalty for possession with intent to distribute carries a maximum sentence of not more than 20 years in prison. Each sex trafficking count carries a potential penalty of not more than a $250,000 fine and not less than five years to life of supervised release. The possession with intent to distribute count carries a potential penalty of not more than a $1,000,000 fine and not less than three years of supervised release.

The investigation was conducted by the Searcy Police Department and Central Arkansas Drug Task Force, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Bryant and Shelby Shelton.

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Additional information about the office of the

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

https://www.justice.gov/edar

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