Crime & Safety

Underground Gangster Crips Gang Leader From Lorton Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking Minors

He faces life in prison.

A 26-year-old Lorton man pleaded guilty today to recruiting eight juvenile girls and operating a prostitution ring for the Underground Gangster Crips street gang. , also known as “Jae”, “Jae Dee” and “J-Dirt,” 26, recruited young girls via social networking web sites and at metro stations to earn money through prostitution. He is the fifth and final member of the gang to confess to sex trafficking of a child. Strom faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and maximum penalty of a life sentence. 

“Justin Strom robbed these girls of their childhood, their innocence, and their trust and he did that in the most base, vile and despicable way possible,” said Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. “Nothing can ever repair the damages Strom inflicted on his victims, but it’s our hope that today’s guilty plea will help them begin a path towards healing and moving forward.”  

According to court documents, Strom and others recruited up to 10 high school girls from Fairfax County between the ages of 16 to 18 years-old to become prostitutes. He recruited them via Facebook, Craigslist, Backpage, MySpace and Datehookup.com. According to an FBI affidavit, Strom and his fellow gang members not only threatened the girls with violence, but forced them to take drugs if they refused to participate or didn't perform as directed. 

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Strom's sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 14.

“These gang members admitted that they beat and intimidated young girls they met on the Internet or in Metro stops in our area," said Special Agent in charge Ronald Hosko. "They preyed on some of the most vulnerable in our society."

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Four other UGC members pleaded guilty in connection with the case, which was investigated by the Fairfax County Police Department and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force:         

  • Donyel Pier Dove, or “Bleek,” 27, of Alexandria, pleaded guilty on May 17 to sex trafficking a juvenile, use of a firearm during a crime of violence for two armed robberies of 7-Eleven stores in Manassas in March and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in Fairfax, Va., which also occurred in March. Dove faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of life on the use of a firearm charge and a maximum of 10 years in prison on the possession of a firearm charge. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 10. 
  • Henock Ghile or “Knots,” 23, of Springfield, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a juvenile on May 14. 
  • Michael Tavon Jefferies or “Loc,” 21, of Woodbridge, and Christopher Sylvia, 23, of Springfield, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a juvenile on April 14. Jefferies is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6, and Sylvia is scheduled for sentencing on July 20. 


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