By: Yuritza Arroyo
On Tuesday, April 11, Tahir Gregory, 44, of Atlantic City, was sentenced the to an aggregate term of 60 years in New Jersey State Prison subject to a parole ineligibility period of 40 years.
According to authorities, the Court determined that Gregory should be sentenced to a term of 30 years in New Jersey State Prison subject to a 20-year parole ineligibility period on each conviction for Human Trafficking consecutive to each other.
Authorities say the remaining convictions for Promoting Prostitution were run concurrent to the other charges for a five-year New Jersey State Prison sentence.
The Court also ordered Gregory to pay a $25,000 fine of each victim pursuant to statute and an additional $7,000 in restitution for each victim.
According to officials, Gregory was initially charged on September 29, 2017, with the human trafficking and promoting prostitution of two women.
Officials say of the course of the two-week trial, the two victims identified Gregory as their pimp over a period of time.
The defendant would use their addiction to heroin against them.
He went so far as to attempt to control one of the victims from the county jail.
According to officials, the two victims testified he would also use physical abuse and threats of physical abuse as a way to control them.
Officials say both victims testified that he confiscated any money they would earn as a result of the actions he forced them to participate in.
Gregory took one of the two victim’s identification, including her birth certificate, as a way to control her. Since then, both victims have entered into the recovery phase of their addiction and were strong enough to testify and face the defendant at trial.
This case started as a joint investigation with the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, Detective Gregory Engstler of the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office assigned to the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, and the Atlantic City Police Department into prostitution and drug activity being conducted by Gregory in Atlantic City.
