A Brooklyn man originally from Barbados has been sentenced to 13 to 29 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of sex trafficking and drug possession.
From approximately April 2023 through February 2024, Michael Howell forced the victim to engage in sexual acts with others for money in Suffolk County and other counties. Howell rented hotel rooms and posted advertisements depicting the victim on websites typically used to advertise sex for money.
To gain control over the victim, Howell gave her crack-cocaine and heroin and would take any money from the sexual acts that she was forced to perform. When the victim refused to engage in sexual acts, Howell resorted to physical violence and threats to gain the victim’s compliance, including slamming her head into a wall.
During the time Howell maintained control over the victim, he also told her that she owed him money for the drugs that he provided to her and for the hotel room that she stayed in. At the time of his arrest on February 1, 2024, Howell was found to be in possession of fentanyl and a large quantity of cocaine.
On August 26, 2025, Howell. 65, was convicted of the following charges after a jury trial heard before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis:
- two counts of Sex Trafficking, both Class B felonies
- one count of Promoting Prostitution in the Second Degree, a Class C felony
- one count of Promoting Prostitution in the Third Degree, a Class D felony
- one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree, a Class C felony
- one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, a Class A misdemeanor
On September 26, 2025, Howell was sentenced to a combined sentence of 13 to 29 years in prison and will have to register as a sex offender. The United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has also lodged a detainer to deport Howell after he serves his sentence.
“The defendant used drugs and violence to exploit and dehumanize a vulnerable victim for his own profit,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “Today’s sentence reflects our commitment to pursuing justice for survivors and holding traffickers fully accountable.”