Atlanta woman sentenced to prison for running brothel, pandemic loan fraud

article

Jamika Weese. Courtesy of Fulton County Sheriff's Office

ATLANTA - A 42-year-old Atlanta woman has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for running a brothel in Buckhead and fraudulently collecting nearly $70,000 in pandemic relief loans.

What we know:

Jamika "Jae" Weese will also serve three years of supervised release, pay $69,000 in restitution and register as a sex offender, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. She pleaded guilty last year to transporting an individual across state lines for prostitution and to wire fraud.

According to prosecutors, Weese operated a brothel out of a Buckhead apartment beginning in 2017, directing women to meet clients and taking more than half of their earnings. Investigators said she forced some women into sex work through threats and physical abuse, including at gunpoint. She also arranged for women to travel to Arizona, Colorado, South Carolina, Texas and Florida to engage in prostitution.

Federal agents raided the apartment in June 2019 after an undercover operation, seizing evidence of the scheme. Though arrested that day, Weese was initially released by local authorities.

Investigators later found that Weese obtained a $48,900 Economic Injury and Disaster Loan and a $20,000 Paycheck Protection Program loan in 2020 and 2021, falsely claiming income from a cosmetics business. She was indicted and rearrested in 2023.

What they're saying:

"Weese ran a prostitution ring, trafficked women, and lied to collect tens of thousands of dollars in federal loans," U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said in a statement. "Her conviction and sentence demonstrate that criminals who exploit vulnerable victims and rip off the government will be held accountable for their crimes."

"This case represents why sex trafficking is such a high priority matter for the FBI and our law enforcement partners," said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. "Weese repeatedly took advantage of vulnerable victims, first in her sex trafficking operation, then as she fraudulently obtained funds designed to help those suffering during the pandemic."

Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank said the case "underscores the commitment of Homeland Security Investigations to dismantling criminal networks that exploit vulnerable individuals for financial gain."