Shannima Yuantrell Session, also known as Shalamar, 47, of Lake Placid, Florida, was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for trafficking nearly a dozen women and girls.
A jury in Florida previously convicted him on 10 counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and three counts of trafficking minors.
A restitution hearing is scheduled for April 17.
“This substantial sentence is indicative of the egregious sexual exploitation committed by Shannima Yuantrell Session on numerous juveniles and women in Highlands County, Florida,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office.
During a nine-day trial in September 2024, evidence showed that Session forced victims into commercial sex acts from July 2011 to July 2013 and February 2016 to February 2019.
He targeted women and girls dealing with unstable housing, substance abuse, or neglect, offering false promises of legitimate work and housing assistance. Under the guise of being caring and empathetic, Session exploited their vulnerabilities to coerce them into performing commercial sex acts.
Session often used food and housing to control and coerce his victims. In one instance, he refused to let a victim eat unless she obeyed his instructions. He also forced victims to engage in sexual activity with him, even after they had been compelled to have sex with up to 18 men in a single night.
Further, the evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Session resorted to extreme physical violence to compel and intimidate certain victims. He violently punched some of the victims in the back of their heads in order not to leave marks on their bodies.
Once, Session dragged a victim to a shower and beat her in the back of her head with a metal object until she fell limp to the floor.
Session also choked another victim to the point that she lost consciousness, beat another victim with a bat and brutalized yet another so badly that her nose ring fell out due to the force of the assault.
In addition, Session took multiple victims to a nearby lake, where he held two of their heads underwater and threatened to drown them if they did not do as he ordered.
The evidence showed that Session used a firearm to intimidate and control his victims. He kept a gun with him at all times, often showing it or mentioning it during conversations.
On one occasion, he pointed the firearm at a victim while driving and threatened to kill her after she asked how he would feel if someone treated his daughter the same way.
Session also exploited some victims’ substance abuse issues to force them into commercial sex work. He gave them cocaine and methamphetamine to keep them energized for sex acts and to make them lose weight.
The FBI Miami Field Office, Ft. Pierce Resident Agency, investigated the case, with assistance from the Highlands County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Leah Branch and Matthew Thiman of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.