After a five-day trial in Brooklyn, the conviction of Joel David Forney, known as "Sirbar," for sex trafficking and coercion of a minor has been confirmed. Forney was found guilty of using violence, threats, and false promises to force two women into prostitution at Pennsylvania Avenue's "Penn Track" in East New York, an infamous outdoor sex trafficking market, as reported by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. In light of Forney's conviction, he could be facing 15 years to life in prison at his upcoming sentencing.
The jury’s decision uncovered a pattern of exploitation led by Forney, including the trafficking of a woman between New York and other states for the purpose of prostitution. United States Attorney Joseph Nocella stated in the press release, “The jury found that Forney used violence and threats to compel women to engage in commercial sex acts at the Penn Track for his own profit, and enticed a vulnerable minor into having sex with him.” As part of his efforts to intimidate, Forney showed one victim a photo of a dismembered woman on his cellphone and said, “this is what happens to whores who don’t obey their pimps.” The United States Attorney’s Office reiterated its commitment to aggressively pursuing traffickers like Forney.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division commented on the case, emphasizing the importance of combating human trafficking, “There is no place in a civilized society for the defendant’s inhumane conduct, and the Justice Department is committed to punishing human trafficking and achieving justice for its victims.” The case also involved a minor whom Forney lured with romantic and sexual text messages, exploiting her vulnerabilities as a teenager dealing with typical life pressures and family relationships, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia highlighted the abuse that Forney inflicted on his victims and signaled the FBI's commitment to these crimes, stating in an announcement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, “Joel Forney lured and forced women into commercial sexual acts with multiple individuals for his own profit and personally sought out and sexually abused a minor.” Survivors of Forney's ordeal played a crucial role according to officials, assisting law enforcement in a significant way to bring about the conviction.
Individuals with information related to human trafficking are urged to report to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or through their website www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Further information and resources about the Justice Department's initiatives against human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking. The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Antoinette N. Rangel, Lauren A. Bowman, Trial Attorney Leah Branch of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division's Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit with support from Paralegal Specialist Chelsea Guzman, Victim Witness Coordinator Huda Abouchaer, and Victim Witness Specialist Kristina Marius.
