Plea Agreement

A plea agreement, also known as a plea bargain, is a agreement between a defendant and a prosecutor in which the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a crime in exchange for a reduced charge or sentence. Plea agreements can be a useful tool for resolving criminal cases, as they can save time and resources by avoiding the need for a trial. However, plea agreements can also raise concerns about fairness and justice, as they may result in defendants pleading guilty to crimes they did not commit in order to avoid harsher penalties. In general, plea agreements must be approved by a judge before they can be implemented.

 

 

Jacksonville man sentenced for charges related to human trafficking
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Jacksonville man sentenced for charges related to human trafficking

Detectives say Zakariya Clarke maintained control of his victims through threats of violence and by withholding drugs they were addicted to. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville man will spend the next 25 years behind bars after changing his plea to guilty for charges related to human trafficking. State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced this week that…

Longtime Missouri juvenile officer sentenced to 7 years for sex with teen
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Longtime Missouri juvenile officer sentenced to 7 years for sex with teen

QUINCY (WGEM) – U.S. District Court Judge Audrey G. Fleissig sentenced a former longtime deputy state juvenile officer to seven years in prison for engaging in illegal sex acts with a 15-year-old who was living in an Illinois group home. Judge Fleissig also ordered Scott F. Burow, 63, to pay $7,500 in restitution to his…

Indian-American motel manager pleads guilty to human trafficking in Georgia
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Indian-American motel manager pleads guilty to human trafficking in Georgia

In a shocking incident,  a 70-year-old American motel manager was found guilty of human trafficking with respect to peonage, slavery, involuntary servitude or forced labour, according to the US Department of Justice. Shreesh Tiwari, an Indian national and legal US permanent resident, admitted to misusing and abusing his position of power over a female tenant…

Five Traffickers Face Up to 15 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation Online
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Five Traffickers Face Up to 15 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation Online

They pleaded guilty to attempted trafficking nearly three years after their arrest in local operations that stemmed from a referral by Australian authorities. The Regional Trial Court Branch 14 in Bislig City, Philippines issued its ruling Feb. 21 2023, after the five traffickers (names withheld to protect the identity of the victims) entered into plea…

5 Traffickers Face Up to 15 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation Online
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5 Traffickers Face Up to 15 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation Online

Five Filipino women who sexually abused and exploited children to make money online have been sentenced to a maximum of 15 years in prison. They pleaded guilty to attempted trafficking nearly three years after their arrest in local operations that stemmed from a referral by Australian authorities. The Regional Trial Court Branch 14 in Bislig…

Man sentenced to 40 years for exchanging drugs to sexually abuse children
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Man sentenced to 40 years for exchanging drugs to sexually abuse children

A man who prosecutors say “terrorized” rural communities in Scioto County was sentenced to 40 years in prison for a child sex trafficking operation. Larry Dean Porter, 72, of Wheelersburg, Ohio, and 11 other family members and associates were arrested and indicted in 2020. They were accused of using drug addictions to gain sexual access to children…

Matt Gaetz is off the hook! DOJ officially exonerates controversial him in human-trafficking …
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Matt Gaetz is off the hook! DOJ officially exonerates controversial him in human-trafficking

In 2021, a former tax collector for congressional representative Matt Gaetz pleaded guilty to six federal charges including human trafficking. Career attorneys recommended charging Gaetz because of credibility issues with witnesses and prosecutors’ concern about testimony from the girl involved not holding up before a jury. The Department of Justice eventually cleared Gaetz of any…

California pastor gets jail time for using homeless in benefits fraud scheme – WFIN
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California pastor gets jail time for using homeless in benefits fraud scheme – WFIN

​A California pastor and his wife were sentenced to prison time earlier this month after pleading guilty to a charge related to what federal prosecutors described as a church labor trafficking scheme that victimized the homeless. Victor Gonzalez, the head pastor of California-based Imperial Valley Ministries (IVM), was sentenced to six months in prison and…

Church pastor, wife sentenced after using homeless for forced labor, stealing benefits
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Church pastor, wife sentenced after using homeless for forced labor, stealing benefits

A California pastor and his wife will serve time behind bars after pleading guilty to forcing homeless people to give up their welfare benefits and panhandle for up to nine hours a day, six days a week, in what federal prosecutors call a church labor trafficking scheme. Victor Gonzalez, the head pastor of Imperial Valley…