Jacksonville resident Erwin Phillips Burley, 37, has been indicted on federal charges that carry the possibility of a life sentence. According to U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe, Burley faces 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 with intent for prostitution. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years to life in prison on the sex trafficking counts, up to 20 years for each enticement count, and up to 10 years for each transportation count.
Court records show Burley was previously convicted in 2018 of enticement to engage in prostitution and sentenced to 96 months in federal prison. He had been on supervised release since moving to a halfway house in early 2024. The new indictment alleges that beginning in February 2024, he recruited individuals for commercial sex acts, using force, fraud, and coercion, and transported them across state lines, including between Florida and Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas, for purposes of prostitution, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The charges will proceed through the federal court system, where Burley is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The investigation involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State Attorney’s Office for Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, and the Sandy Springs Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor is handling the prosecution.
