HONOLULU 

Isaiah McCoy, 37, was sentenced last week to life in prison after a federal jury in April convicted him of sex trafficking three adults and one minor, along with related racketeering and obstruction charges.

McCoy was found guilty of four counts of sex trafficking, two counts of obstructing a federal investigation, and eight counts involving interstate or foreign travel to support prostitution and racketeering.

The court also ordered him to pay $1 million in restitution to his victims.

A federal jury found the Hawaii man guilty earlier this year of coercing and violently exploiting multiple women and girls in a commercial sex operation that spanned two years, according to evidence presented during a 12-day trial.

Prosecutors said the man, identified as McCoy, targeted victims who were experiencing instability, poverty, or emotional vulnerability, then manipulated them with false promises of romance, financial stability, and a glamorous lifestyle.

Prosecutors told jurors that McCoy cultivated trust by portraying himself as sympathetic and wealthy, encouraging victims to believe they were beginning a committed relationship.

In reality, they said, the promises served as a method of control, allowing him to identify and exploit his victims’ insecurities while positioning himself as both protector and provider.

Once the victims were under his control, authorities said, McCoy demanded total obedience and imposed a series of rigid, demeaning rules.

Victims were required to report their earnings from sex work, share cellphone location data, and address him using names such as “Daddy” or “Zeus,” according to testimony.

When any rule was broken or he believed the victims had failed to deliver enough money, McCoy responded with escalating threats and physical assaults.

Witnesses described brutal acts of violence, including beatings, stomping on victims’ heads and limbs, and repeated burnings on one victim’s arms. In one incident detailed in court, McCoy allegedly slammed a woman’s head against a car door, carried her unconscious body across a hotel lobby, and took her into an elevator. Several victims were hospitalized.

Prosecutors argued that fear was central to McCoy’s control. He convinced the victims that he monitored their every move and that escape would lead to retaliation, ensuring constant compliance and dependence.

Despite forcing the victims to work at all hours — including when they were ill or deprived of food — McCoy kept all profits, spending the earnings on designer shoes, belts, clothing, and other luxury goods.

The victims, prosecutors said, were left with nothing.

The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department.