Ohio Men Sentenced Life Prison Human Trafficking Murder

Two men, James Antwan Dukes-Johnson and Michael Anthony Davis, were sentenced to life in prison in Columbus, Ohio for operating a violent human trafficking ring that forced women into prostitution to fund drug purchases and for the murder of Adrian Smith, 39. Dukes-Johnson is eligible for parole after 96 years, and Davis after 81, with both required to register as Tier II sex offenders if released. The pair, along with four co-conspirators, were charged following an investigation by the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, with the other four having pleaded guilty to related charges including trafficking, involuntary manslaughter, and drug offenses. The group fatally shot Smith in May 2023 during a shooting incident in south Columbus, which also injured another victim who survived. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost emphasized the severity of the crimes and condemned the defendants as a dangerous menace to the community. Sentencing of the remaining co-defendants is pending, except for one who has received two years of community control.