NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: In a gruesome case that has sent shockwaves through New York City, Somorie Moses, known as "Sugar Bear" and "Daddy," has pleaded guilty to murder and sex trafficking charges. The US Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of New York announced this development, shedding light on a horrifying trail of abuse and violence spanning nearly two decades.
Somorie Moses, aged 47, is now facing the grim prospect of spending 15 years to life behind bars, following his admission of guilt in the murder of one of his sex trafficking victims, Leondra Foster, on January 13, 2017.
The gruesome murder of Leondra Foster
The details of the crime are chilling; Moses allegedly used a saw and knife to dismember Foster's body inside their shared Brooklyn apartment. Subsequently, he callously stuffed her head, hands, and feet into a deep freezer within the apartment and discarded her torso and limbs at a Bronx sanitation site, according to prosecutors.
A distinctive detail that led to his identification was the presence of the victim's name, "Somorie," tattooed on one of the recovered feet.
United States Attorney Breon Peace expressed the gravity of the situation, stating, "With [Friday’s] guilty plea to every count in the indictment, Moses is held fully responsible for preying on women and girls, forcing them to become prostitutes, and then brutally murdering and dismembering one of his many victims."
The prosecutor's hope is that Moses's admission of guilt will provide some closure to the victims and the family of Leondra Foster, who endured unimaginable suffering due to Moses's cruelty.
The case against Somorie Moses paints a disturbing picture of a serial predator who had been operating with impunity since at least 2003. He systematically forced women and girls into prostitution through a harrowing combination of brutal beatings, rape, torture, and threats.
Promising "love and marriage" to his victims, he manipulated them into prostitution and seized the money they earned for himself. Additionally, he demanded that the women tattoo his first name on their bodies, marking them as his property.
Somorie Moses victims
The extent of his brutality is evident in the harrowing testimonies of his victims. One woman was subjected to a Taser until she submitted to his demands. Another suffered slash wounds to her arms and feet with a razor, beatings with a belt, and the agonizing pain of lemon juice poured onto her wounds, leaving her permanently scarred.
In a particularly horrifying incident, Moses placed a shotgun in the mouth of a third victim, threatening to end her life when she expressed her desire to escape the life of prostitution.
James Smith, assistant director-in-charge of the FBI's New York field office, condemned Moses's actions, saying, "Moses exploited vulnerable women and robbed them of their freedom and dignity for his own personal gain, and even brutally robbed one woman of her life."
What sets this case apart is its historical significance. The prosecution of Somorie Moses marks the first use of the federal statute that criminalizes murder in the context of sex trafficking. It reflects a commitment to bringing justice to those who have suffered at the hands of human traffickers and murderers like Moses.
Somorie Moses criminal history
Notably, this is not the first time Somorie Moses has faced the justice system. In a previous state-level criminal trial, he admitted to earning money as a "pimp" for approximately two decades. During that trial, he confessed to subjecting Leondra Foster to physical abuse, including "smacking her around" and inflicting numerous black eyes.
However, the jury convicted Moses of criminally negligent homicide and concealing a corpse while acquitting him of murder. He was subsequently sentenced to eight years in prison.
State records reveal that Moses has a troubling history, having been incarcerated at least twice before. He served time at New York's Wyoming Correctional Facility in Attica from May 2, 2007, to December 4, 2009, for attempting to promote prostitution.
Another stint in prison occurred at the Gouverneur Correctional Facility in northern New York state, from September 17, 2012, to January 8, 2016, for criminal possession of a weapon. All of these convictions were recorded in Kings County, which encompasses Brooklyn, Law&Crime reported.