CALIFORNIA—On June 26, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California announced after a five-day trial, Elias Abdul Shabazz, 34, a former Perris resident, was found guilty of one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion.
He forced his victim to perform sexual acts for money in the Figueroa Corridor, a section of Figueroa Street in Southern Los Angeles that stretches between Imperial Highway and Gage Avenue, where prostitution occurs.
The jury found him not guilty of one count of coercing or enticing interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution.
The victim was a woman whose name and age have not been released to the public. His actions occurred between May 2021 and October 2021, during which time Shabazz dated her. The victim testified that he introduced her to commercial sex, demanded that she perform sexual acts for money, required her to meet a daily quota of commercial sex, and required her to work on Figueroa Street.
He engaged in violent behavior toward her, including carrying a pistol, hitting her with it and firing it at her feet while threatening to kill her. Shabazz introduced her to addictive drugs, tried to control her life, including when she could sleep or eat and he took her birth certificate, Social Security card, and identification, and prevented her from contacting her friends and family members by regularly looking through her phone.
Shabazz was arrested in May 2025 and has been in custody with a previous address in Washington D.C.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for October 6, when his prison sentence will be determined. He faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison.
