HILLSBORO, Ore- On May 28, 2024, Julius Lavant Mitchell, age 21, pleaded guilty to Unlawful Delivery of Cocaine, Promoting Prostitution, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Tampering with a Witness. On June 5, 2024, Washington County Circuit Court Judge Theodore Sims sentenced Mr. Mitchell to 80 months in prison. Deputy District Attorney Bryce Bissinger prosecuted this case.
On April 30, 2024, Beaverton police conducted a human trafficking sting by posing as interested sex buyers online. The woman detectives communicated with arrived at the agreed-upon location and was observed exiting the defendant’s vehicle. Beaverton police pulled the vehicle over after it left the location. The defendant, who was already a convicted felon at the time and had recently completed a prison sentence in Washington State after being convicted of Robbery in the Second Degree and Assault in the Second Degree, was driving the vehicle. Investigators located a minor in the car, a handgun, significant amounts of cocaine and dexamphetamine, drug dealing paraphernalia, and nearly $2,000 in cash.
Investigators spoke with the woman and confirmed she had been engaging in prostitution and that the defendant was her pimp. Officers also reviewed digital evidence on the defendant and woman’s phone which proved he was her pimp.
While in custody at the Washington County Jail, the defendant made several phone calls to various acquaintances in which he urged them to convince the minor to claim the drugs belonged to him rather than the defendant. He also told them to persuade the woman to deny that he was her pimp and made comments suggesting he would commit acts of violence against her if she didn’t comply.
Unfortunately, human trafficking is occurring in Washington County. In 2018, our office helped to launch the Washington County Human Trafficking Task Force to more effectively investigate and prosecute these cases. Our prosecutors work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable and to support victims. If you suspect someone is being trafficked, call 9-1-1, your local law enforcement agency, or report it to the Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Beaverton Police Department on this case. The defendant will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to serve his sentence.