ATLANTA — An Atlanta woman has been sentenced to federal prison for operating a brothel and prostitution ring out of a Buckhead apartment.
In May, Jamika “Jae” Weese, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of transporting an individual interstate for the purpose of prostitution and one count of wire fraud.
She has now been sentenced to five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Weese was also ordered to pay $69,000 in restitution and to register as a sex offender.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Federal prosecutors say that been 2017 and 2019, Weese posted commercial sex advertisements online, directed several women to receive clients at the apartment and then took more than half of their earnings.
They say she also arranged for women to travel to Arizona, Colorado, Florida, South Carolina, and Texas.
She was arrested in June 2019, but was released the same day.
TRENDING STORIES:
- ABC suspends ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ indefinitely
- Former UGA star worried about hurting himself instead of checking on crash victims, documents show
- GA high school’s ‘top performing golfer’ dies unexpectedly
The FBI says they later learned that Weese fraudulently obtained a $48,900 Economic Injury and Disaster Loan and $20,000 Paycheck Protection Program loan in 2020 and 2021, claiming she earned her income from a cosmetics company.
Weese was indicted and rearrested in 2023.
“Weese ran a prostitution ring, trafficked women, and lied to collect tens of thousands of dollars in federal loans,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Her conviction and sentence demonstrate that criminals who exploit vulnerable victims and rip off the government will be held accountable for their crimes.”
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]