A King County jury has ordered Seattle rapper Solomon “Raz” Simone to pay four women a total of $2.1 million after finding him liable for criminal profiteering in a closely watched civil case that stretched over a month of testimony. The women alleged Simone groomed, trafficked and sexually assaulted multiple women and took control of their earnings, allegations he has denied.
Jurors reached their decision after hearing weeks of testimony and reviewing a pile of evidence that included handwritten notes, text messages, medical records, protective orders, financial documents, photos and videos, according to The Seattle Times. The panel ultimately found Simone liable for criminal profiteering and awarded roughly $2.1 million in damages to the four plaintiffs.
The civil complaint, filed nearly five years ago, traces the women’s allegations back to at least 2012. Over the years, multiple women and family members reported incidents to police, according to earlier reporting by KUOW. Those accounts describe what plaintiffs’ attorneys called a pattern of trauma-bonding, strict earning quotas and Simone allegedly seizing the women’s income.
What Jurors Heard
In the courtroom, women testified about enforced quotas, confinement and physical abuse. The plaintiffs’ attorney described their testimony as “incredibly powerful,” while the defense countered that the verdict was driven more by emotion than by solid proof, according to The Seattle Times.
That outlet also reported that King County prosecutors told investigators they believed at least one victim and would have filed criminal charges if they had enough evidence. An FBI inquiry is believed to still be underway, according to the same reporting.
Criminal And Civil Paths
Washington’s criminal-profiteering statute gives people a civil tool to go after someone they say profited from forced labor. In this case, that statute became the main legal path forward, even as other claims were dismissed on statute-of-limitations grounds.
Judges gradually narrowed the lawsuit to focus on that single cause of action, a process detailed in public filings and appellate records. Court documents show how earlier claims were thrown out while the criminal-profiteering claim was allowed to proceed to trial.
What’s Next
Simone has continued to deny the allegations and now faces the prospect of an appeal from his legal team. The plaintiffs, meanwhile, say the civil verdict offers some accountability in a case where criminal trafficking charges have not been filed.
For survivors, advocates and many Seattle residents who have followed the case for years, the ruling is likely to renew scrutiny of how local authorities handled earlier complaints. It could also influence how similar civil claims are brought and litigated in Washington going forward.
