The Brooklyn man Somorie Moses who dismembered the prostitute has been charged with murder and sex trafficking

A Brooklyn pimp who admitted dismembering his prostitute girlfriend and sticking her severed head in his freezer was charged Tuesday by the FBI with the 2017 murder of the woman and years of sex trafficking.

Somorie Moses, also known as “Sugar Bear,” was acquitted of the murder of Leondra Foster in November 2019 in Brooklyn Criminal Court, but is now being charged with murder by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District.

He also faces federal charges in connection with the sex trafficking of eight women, including minors, since 2003, according to authorities.

During his 2019 trial, to the shock of viewers, Moses was found not guilty of murdering Foster, although he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and concealing a body.

Moses’ attorney, Julie Clark, argued during this trial that he could not have killed her because he is a businessman who did not want to spoil his bottom line, although the defense conceded that he cut up her corpse.

When announcing their charges on Tuesday, federal authorities alleged that Moses murdered Foster by beating her to death and then dismembering her with a knife and saw. Moses then took her torso and limbs to a sanitation facility in the Bronx, but her head, hands and feet, including a foot with the name “Somorie” tattooed on it, were found by police in a freezer in Moses’ apartment.

“Words do not adequately convey the depravity of the long list of acts Moses allegedly took to torment and terrorize women so he could sell them for money,” Michael Driscoll, deputy chief of the FBI, said in a statement.

“He is accused of keeping a woman’s head in his freezer after he killed her. Imagine how hard it is for his victims to come forward – but they have and should be commended for their bravery. You will help us bring Moses to justice for his alleged crimes and stop him from harming another human being.”

Moses, 45, promised his victims the prospect of marriage in order to have sexual relations with them before asking them to work as prostitutes, according to US prosecutors.

He brutally beat, raped and tortured his victims and threatened to work for him as a prostitute in Brooklyn and Queens, the FBI said.

“Sex trafficking is a modern form of slavery that uses violence and fear to force vulnerable individuals to work for the benefit of others, leading in this case to the alleged brutal murder of one of the victims,” ​​US Attorney Breon Peace said in an explanation.

“This office will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of these heinous crimes. I thank the victims for their courage in coming forward to report the defendant’s crimes and I hope this prosecution will help bring them and Ms Foster’s family to a close.”

His office said the case was the first indictment under federal law criminalizing murder in the course of the sex trade.

When a victim refused to become a prostitute, Moses used a stun gun until she relented, authorities said. Another time, he slashed a victim’s back and arms with a razor and hit her with a belt before pouring lemon juice on her wounds, US prosecutors claimed.

And when another victim refused to work, he is accused of putting a shotgun in her mouth and threatening to kill her and her child.

The FBI worked with the NYPD on the case, with Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell describing Moses’ depravity as “truly beyond the bounds.”

“The NYPD is committed to protecting sex trafficking survivors and holding fully accountable anyone who seeks to profit from the abuse and exploitation of another human being,” Sewell said in a statement. “The level of depravity allegedly displayed in this case is truly beyond pale.”

If Moses is found guilty, US prosecutors said, he faces life imprisonment and the death penalty.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information on Moses is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.