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U.S. Assistant Attorney Joseph Orabona (619) 546-7951
PRESS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 26, 2021
SAN DIEGO, CA – Jonathan Devon Price, aka “Lil ‘Ty,” a North Park street gang member previously convicted of extortion conspiracy, was sentenced today to 142 months in prison by Senior District Court Judge John A. Houston on the new commission Child sex trafficking crime and 24 months in prison for violating the conditions of supervised release in his extortion case.
In December 2013, Price was charged with an illicit conspiracy known as RICO involving sex trafficking in San Diego and elsewhere. In October 2015, Price pleaded guilty to RICO by admitting his active role in the conspiracy involving the transportation of adult women in San Diego and elsewhere for the purpose of prostitution. Price was later sentenced to more than two years in prison and three years of supervised release by Judge Houston.
Between 2016 and 2019, Price violated his supervised release several times and was returned to prison. His last violation was on August 30, 2019, and he was released from prison.
While under federal supervision, Price was arrested on November 26, 2019 for re-engaging in sex trafficking. He was first referred to a state court on a matter involving the battery of one of his human trafficking victims. After his conviction in a state court in January 2020, he was transferred to a federal court and charged with sex trafficking in February 2020. Price was arrested and has been on custody since his arrest in November 2019.
On October 13, 2020, Price appeared before U.S. Judge Michael S. Berg pleading guilty of child sexual trafficking. In his plea, Price admitted that in November 2019 he knowingly transported, deployed, serviced, and received a 17-year-old minor woman for commercial sex acts in San Diego County. Price also admitted he ran ads online promoting the underage woman for commercial sex. Additionally, Price admitted that between approximately June 2018 and November 2019, he knowingly transported, deployed, serviced, and received an adult woman to engage in commercial sex acts. During this time, Price used fraud, violence, and coercion against the adult woman in order to induce her to engage in commercial sexual acts.
As part of his informed consent, Price admitted that by committing the crime of child sex trafficking in November 2019, he violated his supervised release conditions pending on his RICO case. Price was sentenced to 24 months in prison for violating his supervised release, including 12 consecutive months and 12 months concurrently with the new 142 months imprisonment for child sex trafficking.
“The exploitation of girls and women through sex trafficking is a despicable crime that has lasting and devastating effects on the lives and future of victims,” said acting US Attorney Randy S. Grossman. “Our office will continue to work with law enforcement partners to stop the abuse and ensure traffickers are held accountable for the harm they have caused.” Grossman commended Attorney Joseph Orabona and the members of the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force for their excellent work in this case.
“Today the accused was convicted of his crimes of sexual exploitation of several victims, including a minor,” said the FBI special agent Suzanne Turner. “The FBI is proud to work with our partners in the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force to prosecute cases like this. I hope today’s trial will give victims a sense of justice as they move forward in their lives. “
ACCUSED File Numbers: 20CR0852-JAH, 13CR4510-JAH
Jonathan Devon Price, aka Lil ‘Ty Age: 30 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Sex trafficking in minors in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1591
Maximum sentences: a minimum of ten years and a maximum of life; mandatory registration of sex offenders; a maximum duration of the supervised release of life; compulsory redress to victims.
INVESTIGATION AGENCIES
San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, consisting of:
- Federal Office for Investigations
- California Department of Justice
- California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation – Probation
- California Highway Patrol
- ICE / homeland security investigations
- National City Police Department
- San Diegogo Prosecutor’s Office
- San Diego District Attorney
- San Diego County Parole Board
- San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
- San Diego Police Department
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California
