Colonie man found guilty of sex and human trafficking
A Colonie man accused of sex trafficking and human trafficking, including trafficking and coercing minors, was found guilty of all charges on Friday. Christopher Thomas, 36, was convicted on 16 counts on Friday in United States District Court, and is expected to face 15 years to life in prison, according to an announcement by Federal Bureau of Investigation and New York State Police officials, and U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman.
COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) - A Colonie man accused of sex trafficking and human trafficking, including trafficking and coercing minors, was found guilty of all charges on Friday. Christopher Thomas, 36, was convicted on 16 counts on Friday in United States District Court, and is expected to face 15 years to life in prison, according to an announcement by Federal Bureau of Investigation and New York State Police officials, and U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman.
First indicted in 2021, Thomas was found to have trafficked and exploited victims as young as age 16. Those victims were used for commercial sex enterprises in several states, including New York, Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts, for Thomas' own financial benefit. Thomas was first arrested in May 2020, and in police custody at Albany County Jail, but police previously said he had continued to operate while behind bars.
Thomas was found guilty of 16 counts of offenses related to sex trafficking, as well as sexual exploitation of a child, distribution of child pornography, and tampering with a witness. Thomas is set to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mae A. D'Agostino and is expected to face a minimum of 15 years in prison, followed by at least 5 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. Thomas will also be registered as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by the FBI and New York State Police, with assistance from the Colonie Police Department, Albany County Sheriff's Office and Albany Police Department. The case has been prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Kopita and Rachel Williams.