(Omaha, Nebraska) – Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp has announced that 30-year-old Darien T. Brewer, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today (Friday) in federal court in Omaha, for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor. Brewer was  sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Brewer will begin a five-year term of supervised release.

An investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office determined that from January 2016 and continuing through January 2019, in the District of Nebraska and elsewhere, Brewer (also known as “BD”) and a co-defendant, Lauryn Besta, conspired and agreed to recruit, transport, and entice four minor females, under the age of 18 years old, to engage in commercial sex.  The victims were introduced into the lifestyle of prostitution through the use of drugs and alcohol provided by Brewer and Besta.  Brewer and Besta often referred to the minors as “the Bunny Gang.”

Investigators determined that Brewer and Besta would instruct the minors how to advertise, solicit, and charge for commercial sex acts in the District of Nebraska and elsewhere.  Brewer and Besta obtained commercial sex customers for the minors by purchasing and posting advertisements on internet sites such as www.backpage.com. Sex customers responded to the advertisements via telephone and text message and commercial sex acts were coordinated to occur at various hotels, motels, and other locations.  Brewer and Besta used vehicles and public highways to drive the minors to various hotels, motels, and other locations for commercial sex acts, including Omaha, Nebraska; Lincoln, Nebraska; Iowa; and Houston, Texas.  The minors paid a portion or all of the payments received for commercial sex acts to Brewer and Besta.

On June 4, 2021, Besta pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor.  Sentencing is scheduled for September 3, 2021. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.