NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

JOHN F. WOOD

JANUARY 15, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HUMAN TRAFFICKING INITIATIVEKC MAN SENTENCED FOR RECRUITING MINORS
FOR PROSTITUTION

   KANSAS CITY, Mo. – John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for recruiting minors for prostitution.

            Don L. Elbert II, 26, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ortrie D. Smith this afternoon to eight years in federal prison without parole, followed by a 15-year term of supervised release. The court also ordered Elbert to pay $524,571 in restitution to the victims.

            “This precedent-setting case marks the first federal conviction in the nation for intrastate domestic prostitution – prostitution activity occurring within one state’s borders,” said Wood. “This case also provides the highest amount of restitution ever awarded in a child exploitation case in the Western District of Missouri.”

            On May 14, 2007, Elbert pleaded guilty to recruiting three minors for prostitution. Elbert admitted that he engaged in acts to recruit, transport and harbor three minor females, knowing that these three minor girls would be caused to engage in commercial sex acts, on May 10 and June 21, 2006. Elbert utilized telephones to communicate with these minor females and a 1988 Chevrolet Suburban to transport them.

            This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cynthia L. Cordes and Curt Bohling. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available on-line at www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html