Atlantic County Jury Convicts Man of Human Trafficking

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On January 18, 2023, an Atlantic County jury convicted Tahir Gregory, 43, of Atlantic City, on two counts of First-Degree Human Trafficking and two counts of Third Degree Promoting Prostitution.

Gregory was charged on September 29, 2017 with the human trafficking and promoting prostitution of two women.

Over 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 county jail.

The two victims testified he would also use physical abuse and threats of physical abuse as a way to control them. 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.

Assistant Prosecutor Deirdre Laws represented the State at trial. A.P. Laws stated, “Because of the victims’ strength, they ended Gregory’s reign of trafficking and spared future victims.”

This case started as a joint investigation with Detective Christopher Southard of 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.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 7, 2023. Pursuant to the human trafficking statute, Gregory faces a minimum of 20 years in New Jersey State Prison where he must serve all 20 years without parole.