Man Arrested For Sex Trafficking in Sacramento County

A former Sacramento resident was arrested Thursday for sex trafficking in Sacramento County and several Bay Area counties, the FBI announced.

Mahendar “Mike” Singh was sentenced yesterday to nine years in prison for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced in a news release.

Singh, 40, pleaded guilty on Jan. 11 to sex trafficking conspiracy. In pleading guilty, Singh admitted that he and his wife, co-defendant Helen Jean Singh (née Kearney), 22, conspired to operate a prostitution enterprise between spring and August 2011, according to the release.

“Today’s sentence is a victory not only for the young victims of this particular case but also for human dignity and the rule of law,” Clark Settles, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in San Francisco, said in a released statement.

The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Phyllis Hamilton. Judge Hamilton also sentenced Mahendar Singh, who was and will remain in custody, to a five-year period of supervised release following his prison term, according to the release. A federal grand jury indicted Mahendar Singh and Helen Jean Singh on the sex trafficking conspiracy charge on Dec. 1. Helen Singh, who is also in custody, pleaded guilty to the same charge on Jan. 18. Her sentencing date has not yet been set.

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Anyone who suspects instances of human trafficking are encouraged to call the FBI, HSI, or the Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-3737-888. Anonymous calls are welcome.