Staff reports
Friday, August 9, 2019 6:50 am

PORTLAND, Maine - A New York man was sentenced on Thursday to more than 28 years in prison for sex trafficking, fraud and trafficking in heroin and crack.

Vincent Graham, also known as "Shawn" and "Mac," 35, of the Bronx, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 320 months in prison and six years of supervised release for sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; distributing heroin and cocaine base, commonly known as "crack;" and transporting a victim in interstate commerce with the intent that she engage in prostitution. He pleaded guilty on Jan. 4.

According to court records, in 2015, Graham, using force and threats, recruited an adult female to engage in commercial sex acts in Biddeford. Graham verbally abused and assaulted the victim, threatened her with violence, and exploited her heroin and crack addictions, often distributing crack to the victim.

He also supplied her with just enough heroin to avoid withdrawal and threatened to cut off her supply and cause her to suffer withdrawal if she refused to engage in commercial sex acts. Graham also caused the victim, and a second woman, to travel from Maine to New Hampshire and Massachusetts to engage in prostitution.

In imposing the sentence, Judge John Woodcock said, "I don't know how to express how deplorable I think your conduct was. As a man, it's just unimaginable to me that you would treat a woman this way. The need to provide just punishment requires no further explanation. The need to protect the public is also self-explanatory."