Federal prosecutors say 37-year-old Jacksonville resident Erwin Phillips Burley has been indicted for allegedly recruiting two people for commercial sex and controlling them through force, fraud, and coercion. The indictment details travel across state lines and a pattern of coercive behavior that authorities allege continued into last year. If convicted, Burley faces the possibility of a decades-long prison sentence under federal law.
Federal indictment lists counts and penalties
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida, Burley is charged with two counts of sex trafficking by means of force, fraud and coercion, two counts of enticement to engage in prostitution and seven counts of interstate transportation of a person with the intent that the person engage in prostitution. Prosecutors say each sex trafficking count carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life. Each enticement count carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years, and each transportation count carries up to 10 years. The office also notes that any conviction would require Burley to register as a sex offender and serve at least five years of federal supervised release after any prison sentence.
Allegations span multiple states
The indictment alleges that beginning in February 2024 and continuing through at least May 2025, Burley recruited two victims to perform commercial sex acts and transported one of them between Florida and several other states, including Georgia, Tennessee and Texas. Those details appear in the charging document and were reported this week by Action News Jax, which highlighted the interstate scope of the alleged conduct.
Record shows an earlier federal conviction
Court filings reflect that Burley previously pleaded guilty in a separate federal case and, in 2018, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for enticement to engage in prostitution, according to court documents. The appellate record in that matter describes violent and coercive conduct connected to the earlier prosecution. Federal authorities point to those prior convictions as context for how they are presenting the new charges.
Investigation and prosecution
Prosecutors say the investigation involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Sandy Springs (Ga.) Police Department, with assistance from the State Attorney’s Office for Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor is assigned to prosecute the case. As with any federal indictment, the filing is a formal charge, and Burley is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court.
What comes next
Upcoming court filings will determine the next steps in the federal case as it moves through the system. Officials also point people toward support and reporting options. Anyone with information or in need of resources can contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1988737378, by text at 233733, or through online chat, as listed on the hotline’s resource page at humantraffickinghotline.org.
