By: Najla Alexander
New Jersey authorities announced that an Essex County man was sentenced to 210 months in prison on charges of explicit trafficking and prostitution-related offenses.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba stated that Amin Sharif, 50, of Newark, was convicted by a jury in July 2024 of one count of attempted transportation of a victim with intent to engage in prostitution, one count of sex trafficking of a minor, one count of use of an interstate facility to promote unlawful activity, one count of transporting a victim with intent to engage in prostitution, and one count of persuading a victim to travel to engage in prostitution, following an eight-day trial before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
In January 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating Sharif for explicit trafficking offenses. Sharif recruited four females, including one minor victim, from states across the country—New York, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Utah, and New Jersey, officials stated.
According to NJ officials, Sharif used multiple social media accounts and assumed aliases and false identities to recruit and entice victims.
He made promises of housing stability, payment of bills, and living expenses, and promises that the victims could make up to thousands of dollars per day by working for him, NJ officials stated.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habb said that Sharif advertised the minor victim online, offering her for 32 explicit services.
Sharif was previously convicted of transporting a minor to engage in prostitution in federal court and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, NJ officials say.
In addition to the prison term, NJ authorities stated that Judge Shipp sentenced Sharif to 20 years of supervised release.
“Amin Sharif is a dangerous offender who has repeatedly preyed on vulnerable young women and minors in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Alina Habba.