BALTIMORE, July 19 (UPI) -- A 29-year-old Maryland man was sentenced Monday to 37 years for his role in a sex trafficking operation, the U.S. Justice Department said.
Lloyd Mack Royal III of Gaithersburg -- also known as "Blyss," "B" and "Furious" -- also was sentenced to 10 months supervised release.
Royal was convicted in March of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, three counts of sex trafficking, possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a violent crime, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and two counts of distribution of controlled substances to persons under the age of 21, the department said.
In a statement, Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for department's Civil Rights Division, said "This defendant violently preyed upon some of the most vulnerable members of our society. He sought out troubled young girls and, using physical violence, drugs, guns and lies, coerced them into prostitution for his own benefit. The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously prosecute these cases."
Two co-defendants pleaded guilty earlier in the case.
