The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that William Battle, 28, of Stroudsburg, pleaded guilty on Aug. 28, before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to participating in a sex trafficking conspiracy that involved using threats and coercion to force women to engage in prostitution in the Monroe County area between 2011 and June 2015.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Battle, who also used the street name of “Buck,” admitted to being a member of the Black P-Stones, a street gang that engaged in sex trafficking and drug trafficking in the Stroudsburg area and the state of Maine.

Members of the conspiracy, including Battle, advertised prostitutes on websites, transported the prostitutes, and rented hotel and motel rooms for the purpose of having the women engage in commercial sex acts with customers.

The prostitutes were threatened, physically assaulted, and provided drugs, including heroin, by members of the conspiracy to persuade them to engage or continue to engage in prostitution. Virtually all of the money earned by the prostitutes was turned over to the gang leaders, and the prostitutes were compensated with illegal drugs.

Judge Mannion ordered a pre-sentence investigation to be completed. Sentencing for Battle will be scheduled at a later date. Battle remains in custody pending sentencing.

The case was prosecuted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, local police in the state of Maine, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and local police in Monroe County.