Serial Massachusetts sex trafficker sentenced to 11+ years in prison

A serial sex trafficker who exploited multiple victims over a 15-year period was sentenced today in federal court in Boston on various sex trafficking charges.

Bruce “Arki” Brown, 43, of Dorchester, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 138 months in prison and five years of supervised release. On Nov. 1, 2021, Brown pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor; transportation of a minor for purposes of prostitution; two counts of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; obstruction of justice; and witness tampering. Brown has remained in federal custody since his arrest in February 2020.

“For more than 15 years, Brown preyed upon women and profited from his sex trafficking enterprise. His exploitation and violence caused immeasurable harm and trauma,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Many people assume that this kind of depravity doesn’t exist our communities, but it does. Sex trafficking activity on the local level is a reality – and so is imprisonment. Today’s sentence shows that those who engage in such heinous crimes will be identified, prosecuted and put behind bars. My office and our law enforcement partners will be relentless in our efforts to hold traffickers accountable and bring accountability to their victims.”

“What Bruce Brown did is unconscionable. He sexually exploited vulnerable victims and plied them with promises of a better life and then used violence, and psychological manipulation as a means of control,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Today’s sentence cannot erase the harm inflicted upon his victims, but it keeps Mr. Brown exactly where he belongs—behind bars. The FBI will never stop working to find and help victims of human trafficking, to protect them from further abuse, and to keep their traffickers from hurting anyone else.”

Brown was originally indicted in February 2020. In June 2020, Brown was charged in a superseding indictment with obstruction of justice and witness tampering for his attempt to influence a victim’s testimony related to the charges against him. In July 2020, Brown was charged in a second superseding indictment.

Brown targeted particularly vulnerable and transient victims and manipulated them through tailored psychological techniques to maintain control.

After Brown was charged in February 2020, he attempted to obstruct justice and tamper with his victims’ testimony. He directed co-conspirators to call victims and try to get them to alter or withdraw their testimony against him. Brown dubbed this scheme his “Plan B.”

U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. The Newton Police Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie A. Queenin and Mackenzie J. Duane of Rollins’ Civil Rights Enforcement Team prosecuted the case.

If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.