Ex-NFL player Eric Johnson and seven others have been arrested and charged with the human trafficking of four women and one teenager, as well as gang charges in Atlanta, according to reports.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said the accused are part of the “LOTTO Gang” and announced that the state had indicted them on charges of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, violation of the street gang terrorism and prevention act, conspiracy to violate the racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations act (RICO), aggravated assault and kidnapping, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
Eric Johnson #41 of the Oakland Raiders in action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during Super Bowl XXXVII at Qualcomm Stadium on January 26, 2003, in San Diego, California. The Buccaneers won the game 48-21. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Officials noted that “LOTTO” stands for “Last One To Take Over” and is a “hybrid” gang made up of members of the Gangster Disciples and the Crips.
AG Carr added that the prostituted women were used as an income stream in a scheme revealed by a month-long investigation into their activities.
The extensive indictment covers 41 “predicate and overt acts” that investigators say were committed between Oct. of 2021 and July 2022. Actions by the gang include violence, threats, and intimidation against the women to keep them in line while being prostituted against their will.
“Throughout our state, gangs are actively engaged in human trafficking as a primary means to make money, and we are using all available resources to fight back and protect our most vulnerable,” Carr said during his announcement. “By combining the strengths of our Human Trafficking and Gang Prosecution Units, we are working to ensure that those who lead, promote and encourage this unlawful activity are vigorously pursued and held accountable for their actions. This indictment is just the latest outcome in our ongoing efforts to keep our children and our families safe as we seek to root out violent crime wherever it occurs.”
In particular, Johnson, a former member of the Oakland Raiders, is being charged with RICO, trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, and violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.
Eric Johnson of the Atlanta Falcons. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
Johnson played in the NFL for eight seasons, from 2000 to 2005, most of those with the Oakland Raiders, but he also had short stints with the Atlanta Falcons and the Arizona Cardinals. The highlight of his career was when as a member of the Raiders, he blocked a punt and then returned it for a touchdown in Super Bowl 37.
Along with the 46-year-old ex-NFL player, authorities also charged Sean Aaron Curry, 33, Sean Patrick Harvey, 35, Jadah Marie Henry, 20, Tyreek Raysheen Lee, 26, Bobby Jamaine Downing, 41, Hilton Lance Dobbins, 33, and Jayda Veronica Wilson, 25.
Each of the accused could be sentenced to as much as life in prison if convicted.
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