A Florida man with a previous conviction for enticement to engage in prostitution has been indicted on new federal charges related to sex trafficking involving force, fraud, and coercion. Erwin Phillips Burley, 37, of Jacksonville, faces eleven counts, including two counts of sex trafficking and seven counts of interstate transportation for prostitution.
After his 2018 conviction, Burley served a federal prison term and was placed in a halfway house in early 2024. The indictment alleges he resumed criminal activity in February 2024, shortly after his release. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a conviction on the forcible sex trafficking charges carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a potential maximum of life imprisonment for each count.
The allegations against Burley include recruiting two victims for commercial sex acts through force, fraud, and coercion. He is also accused of transporting one of the victims across Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas during 2024 and 2025 for the purpose of prostitution. Burley remains presumed innocent, as an indictment is a formal charge and not a conviction.
The case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor and stems from a joint investigation led by the FBI, with support from the State Attorney’s Office for Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Sandy Springs Police Department in Georgia. The indictment begins the legal process for addressing the alleged crimes, though the proceedings are expected to be complex and lengthy.
-2.webp?w=160&h=400&fit=crop&crop=edges)
.jpg){kind=link}