U.S. District Court Judge Carol E. Jackson sentenced Wallace, who had previously pleaded guilty and is the last of three defendants in this case to be sentenced on sex trafficking related charges. April Chaney and Richard Harper were previously sentenced to 60 months and 27 months in prison respectively for their roles in this crime.

“Sex trafficking violates individuals’ basic human rights, stripping them of their dignity and freedom,” Acting Assistant Attorney General King said. “The damage done to the victim in this case cannot be reversed, but I applaud the investigators and attorneys who brought these defendants to justice and it should send a message that we will continue to vigorously enforce our nation’s civil rights laws.”

In announcing the plea, Acting Assistant Attorney General King, and Acting U.S. Attorney Reap commended the FBI and the St. Louis Metro Police Department for their work in this cooperative investigation and prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard Marcus and Trial Attorney Jim Felte of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted this case for the government.

The Attorney General and Secretary of Defense serve as Co-Chairs of the Detention Policy Task Force and have been represented on the Task Force by their designees. Other Task Force participants include designees of the Secretary of State, Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of National Intelligence, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to the Executive Order, the Task Force’s mission is “to conduct a comprehensive review of the lawful options available to the Federal Government with respect to the apprehension, detention, trial, transfer, release, or other disposition of individuals captured or apprehended in connection with armed conflicts and counterterrorism operations, and to identify such options as are consistent with the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States and the interests of justice.” The Executive Order directs the Detention Policy Task Force to provide a report to the President within 180 days of the date of the Order, (by July 21, 2009), “unless the Co-Chairs determine that an extension is necessary.”

Separately, the Department of Justice today announced that the Special Task Force on Interrogation and Transfer Policies, created pursuant to Executive Order 13491, will have an additional two months to submit its final report to the President. This Task Force is charged with evaluating whether the use of interrogation practices beyond those listed in the Army Field Manual by agencies other than the military provide an appropriate means of acquiring the intelligence necessary to protect the nation. It is also responsible for examining the transfer of individuals to other nations in order to ensure that such individuals are not tortured and that U.S. commitments to ensure the humane treatment of individuals in its custody or control are not undermined or circumvented.

The Detention Policy Task Force and the Special Task Force on Interrogation and Transfer Policies are distinct from the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force, which was created pursuant to Executive Order 13492. The Guantanamo Review Task Force is conducting a review of the status of all individuals currently detained at Guantanamo Bay and is making recommendations regarding the proper disposition of each in order for the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay to be closed within one year from the date of the Executive Order.

“The Department of Justice is intensifying its efforts to investigate, prosecute and punish members of the Mexican drug cartels,” said Attorney General Holder. “The guns, drugs, and bulk cash that are the backbone of the cartels’ business contribute to addiction and drug-related violence in our communities. The Recovery Act funding these three California communities are receiving will help local law enforcement in our joint efforts to combat the threat posed by these cartels.”

The Department is increasing its focus on investigations and prosecutions of the southbound smuggling of guns and cash that fuel the violence and corruption and attacking the cartels in Mexico. In recent months, the Department has announced resources for the Southwest border, including an increased law enforcement presence and is now providing additional resources through the Recovery Act grants announced today. In addition, the Department is continuing to collaborate with counterparts in Mexico to strengthen Mexico’s law enforcement capacity and institutions.

Department officials are taking an active role in the national effort to combat the Mexican drug cartels. Two weeks ago, top Department officials participated in the Violent Crime and Arms Trafficking Summit in Albuquerque, N.M., where federal, state and local officials worked to refine enforcement strategies. In June 2009, the Attorney General, along with Secretary Janet Napolitano and Director Gil Kerlikowske from the Office of National Drug Control Policy released President Obama’s National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy, designed to stem the flow of illegal drugs and their illicit proceeds across the Southwest Border by, among other things, increasing coordination and information sharing with state and local law enforcement agencies. Previously, the Attorney General and other Department officials participated in high-level meetings with U.S. and Mexican officials at an arms trafficking conference in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

As part of the efforts to combat Mexican drug cartels, the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is administering the $30 million Recovery Act Assistance for Law Enforcement along the Southern Border and in High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (Southern Border/HIDTA). This will provide resources for hiring, retention, assistance and equipment to law enforcement to combat criminal narcotics activity stemming from the southern border-states.

The Attorney General was joined by local law enforcement officials as he announced grant awards to the California communities of Chula Vista ($2,864,605); San Mateo County ($800,700); and San Diego County ($4,999,996). The Chula Vista Police Department, on behalf of the California Border Alliance Group, plans to use these Recovery Act funds to support task force efforts to gather intelligence related to cross-border violence, including creating or retaining 10 positions.  The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Northern California HIDTA, plans to use the funds to develop an automated intelligence management system to track wholesale distribution from Mexican drug trafficking organizations out of the San Francisco area.  San Diego County plans to use the funds to create a team of 16 uniformed officers to patrol the border for drug smuggling and criminal activity and fund a dedicated deputy district attorney to prosecute those apprehended. The remaining Southern Border/HIDTA grant awards are being processed and will be announced in the near future.

The Southern Border/HIDTA grant program is part of more than $4 billion in Department of Justice Recovery Act funds available to assist state, local and tribal law enforcement and for other criminal justice activities that help to prevent crime and improve the criminal justice system in the United States, while supporting the creation of jobs and much needed resources for states and local communities.

OJP provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. OJP has five component bureaus: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and the Office for Victims of Crime. Additionally, OJP has two program offices: the Community Capacity Development Office, which incorporates the Weed and Seed strategy, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART).  More information can be found at www.ojp.gov.