SEATTLE — A man pleaded guilty in a Seattle federal court Friday to charges related to the operation of a multi-state sex trafficking ring.
Winston Burt was first arrested in November 2022 in Seattle after he chased after a woman who escaped from his rental home and shot at her. Prosecutors say Burt "self-identifies as a 'pimp' who led a sex trafficking ring through California, Arizona and Washington."
Prosecutors say the young women who worked for Burt were required to give all the money they earned through sex work to him, and three even had his name tattooed on their faces.
On Nov. 2, 2022, Burt assaulted a 20-year-old woman by kicking, punching and pistol-whipping her after she said she no longer wanted to work for him. Three days later, the woman was assaulted again and eventually managed to sneak out of the rental home through a window, but she was caught by Burt and forced into a vehicle. While Burt was taking the victim to a motel on Aurora Avenue, she got out of the car and ran into traffic on the crowded Seattle roadway, prosecutors say.
The woman eventually was picked up by a rideshare driver. Burt and his associates chased the vehicle and shot at the van the woman was in. The victim eventually found her way to the hospital and Burt was arrested the following day.
As part of his plea agreement, Burt also has pleaded guilty to King County charges that include four assault counts, drive-by shooting and unlawful imprisonment. Burt pleaded guilty in federal court to sex trafficking through force, fraud and coercion and unlawful possession of a firearm. Burt forfeited multiple firearms and over $72,000 in cash.
The prosecution and defense agreed to recommend 15 years in federal prison to run concurrent with any sentence imposed in Washington state court, per the U.S. Attorney's Office. Burt's sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 3, 2025.
