Dallas man sentenced to 20 years for human trafficking, ‘systematically’ brutalizing his victims, officials announce

DALLAS — A Dallas man who called himself “Macknificent” was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison Thursday for human trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.

Tremont Blakemore, 43, was first arrested in September 2018 and later charged in September 2019. He pleaded guilty in April 2022 to sex trafficking through force, fraud and coercion before U.S. District Judge Ada Brown.

Following today's sentencing, Judge Brown ordered Blakemore to turn over several trophies, including one engraved “Playa of the Year,” to the federal government. She also ordered him to forfeit several Rolex watches and diamond and gold jewelry that, authorities say, Blakemore used to flout his lifestyle and “appear successful in order to recruit additional victims to his trafficking organization.”

According to Dallas police, in 2018, Blakemore's group — which consisted of 20 women — had connections to multiple cities in Texas and throughout the country.

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In plea papers, Blakemore admitted to running the large-scale human trafficking organization and using the threat of grotesque violence to force women to engage in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit.

“This defendant systematically brutalized his victims, convincing them that they had no choice but to live life according to his dictates,” said Meacham.

Court documents state that Blakemore also admitted to slapping, punching, choking, kicking and burning his victims with cigarettes if they disobeyed his “rules.”

“For the next 20 years, Mr. Blakemore will have time to reflect on the pain he caused those he subjugated for his own selfish gains. Our hope is that the victims he forcefully manipulated will begin the healing process now that he is no longer a threat to society,” said HIS Dallas Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes Jr.

Not only will Blakemore spend the next 20 years in prison, but he will also be under a lifetime of supervised release for human trafficking, Meacham said.