A federal jury in Los Angeles on Friday found 33-year-old former Perris resident Elias Abdul Shabazz guilty of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion after a five-day trial, while acquitting him on a separate transportation charge. Prosecutors said the case centered on commercial sex forced along the Figueroa Corridor, a stretch of South Los Angeles long known as a hot spot for trafficking and street-level prostitution.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, jurors heard evidence that Shabazz carried a handgun while controlling the victim, pistol-whipped her, fired the gun at her feet and took her identity documents so she could not leave. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli called it the kind of case that weighs heavily on prosecutors, saying, "Sex trafficking matters rank among the most tragic cases our office prosecutes." Shabazz now faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in federal prison and up to life.
How prosecutors say he controlled the victim
In court, prosecutors described a relationship that started as romance and quickly turned into domination. They told jurors that Shabazz led the woman to believe they were a couple before turning violent, introducing her to addictive narcotics, demanding that she meet daily cash quotas and monitoring her phone activity, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Prosecutors said he seized her Social Security card and birth certificate and forced her to work corners along Figueroa Street, where would-be buyers were easy to find. During the five-day trial, the victim took the stand and described beatings and threats that kept her trapped in the scheme.
Figueroa Corridor: a known trafficking hub
The portion of Figueroa Street where authorities say Shabazz operated has been on law enforcement’s radar for years as an open-air market for commercial sex. The Los Angeles Times has detailed large, multi-agency crackdowns targeting trafficking in the corridor, with both federal and local teams cycling through the area in waves of enforcement.
Recent cases have drawn attention to just how entrenched the problem is. Figueroa Corridor Predator Caged is part of ongoing coverage of related convictions and operations along the strip. Advocates and service providers say arrests alone are not enough and argue that any serious effort to "disrupt and rescue" must be paired with long-term support for survivors.
Legal next steps
The jury convicted Shabazz of a single count of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and cleared him of a separate interstate-transportation charge, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. NBC Los Angeles reports that sentencing is set for Oct. 6, with federal court filings and guidelines to shape the final prison term and any restitution order.
Prosecutors identified trial lawyers on the case as Kate A. Alexander of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen I. Meyer.
Anyone with information about human trafficking can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or use the hotline’s website for confidential reporting and resources. Local residents concerned about suspicious activity in their neighborhoods can also contact the LAPD’s South Bureau or federal tip lines listed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
