TACOMA — A member of a human trafficking ring was sentenced to 30 years in prison after prosecutors said he and fellow gang members paid for motel rooms, setup advertisements and collected money in northwestern Washington, a judge said.
Superior Court Judge Stephanie Arend sentenced Matthew Jeffrey Holt, 28, on Friday after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit human trafficking, human trafficking, and promoting commercial sexual abuse of a minor, The Tacoma News Tribune reported. Holt is alleged to be the ring leader.
Holt was one of 11 charged in connection to the human trafficking ring in Pierce County, prosecutors said.
Several of the people charged received sentences ranging from about two years to 15 years in prison. Not all have been tried and sentenced.