Two Fort Hood soldiers sentenced to prison for human trafficking
Two Fort Hood soldiers were sentenced to prison Friday for their role in a human trafficking operation uncovered last year, federal prosecutors said.
Isaiah Gore, 21, was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison and Denerio Williams, 22, was sentenced to 2 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced.
The scheme involved soldiers transporting undocumented immigrants to Texas while wearing their uniforms, according to court documents.
Gore recruited fellow soldiers, paying $2,000 per trip, and Williams continued the trips, court documents show. They both pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in December.
The investigation began after two other service members, who were wearing their army uniforms, were caught with two undocumented people in the trunk of their vehicle at a Border Patrol checkpoint in Hebbronville, Texas on June 13 , officials said.
Those two men, Emmanuel Oppongagyare and Ralph Gregory Saint-Joie, pleaded guilty in August and are awaiting sentencing, prosecutors said.
Another soldier, Ivory Palmer, also pleaded guilty and sentencing is pending in his case.
In one case, the people were arrested in McAllen, Texas. In another, a person was arrested in southern Texas, taken to an instate Border Patrol checkpoint and then dropped off in San Antonio, according to court documents.
Gore told investigators he was recruited by members of a human trafficking organization and told no one would have to cross the border because undocumented people would already be in Texas, according to court documents related to his plea deal.
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