Oakland man faces life in federal prison and $250,000 for conspiracy to commit human trafficking by force, fraud or coercion

Michael Simon, 37, of Oakland, pleaded guilty in federal court today to Conspiracy to Commit Human Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion.

Simon was charged by Information on May 26, 2026, with one count of Conspiracy to Commit Human Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion.

In pleading guilty, Simon admitted to engaging in a conspiracy to commit human trafficking on the Oakland Blade and other locations between June 2023 and September 2025.  Simon conspired with others to recruit, entice, harbor, maintain, obtain, transport, provide, and advertise Victim 1 and Victim 2, and other victims, knowing that force, threats, fraud, or coercion would be used to cause them to engage in commercial sex acts.

Simon agreed that Victim 1 and Victim 2, and other victims, would be advertised online and that they would solicit customers for commercial sex acts and that individuals would pay to have sex with them.  Simon and his co-conspirators booked and used hotel rooms in Oakland to harbor and maintain the victims.  The hotel rooms were to be used for commercial sex acts.

Simon and his co-conspirators used cellular telephones to field phone calls from prospective clients, identify prospective clients for commercial sex acts, and to communicate with the victims about their commercial sex work.  Simon instructed Victim 1 and Victim 2 via text message to engage in prostitution.  He instructed them to go to specific hotel rooms to engage in commercial sex acts and he instructed them to post online advertisements for commercial sex services.

The victims were not allowed to keep the money paid to them for commercial sex.  The victims were expected to engage in commercial sex work when they were told, and did not have any say in their hours, their fees, or the location in which they were to perform commercial sex acts.  When a victim refused to engage in commercial sex work as instructed or failed to hand over money received for sex work, Simon would physically punish them for non-compliance by physically assaulting them, including by hitting them in their head and face.

United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Scott Schelble made the announcement.

Simon’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 1, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.  He faces a maximum statutory penalty of life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1594(c).  Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ivana Djak is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James and Jessie Chelsea.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Oakland Police Department.