He once scored in a Super Bowl. Now he’s accused of trafficking women in Georgia
An ex-NFL player is accused of trafficking women for sex as a leader of a criminal street gang, Georgia investigators say and news outlets report. Now he’s facing several charges.
Eric Duane Johnson, 46, was among eight people arrested on gang and human trafficking charges as part of a months-long investigation in Gwinnett County, according to Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s office.
Prosecutors said Johnson, best known for scoring a special teams touchdown for the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII, committed several crimes between October 2021 and July 2022 “while occupying a position of leadership” in the Last One To Take Over Gang.
He and the others were indicted Feb. 8 on charges including assault, kidnapping and conspiracy to violate the racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations — or the RICO Act.
“In part, the defendants are alleged to have engaged in the trafficking of five female victims, including one minor, to further their criminal enterprise,” according the attorney general’s office. “The defendants are also alleged to have recruited others to join LOTTO.”
In the indictment, prosecutors said the gang controlled the women through violence and held them against their will by pimping them for money, WAGA reported. They also used violence and intimidation to boost their “reputation, power and influence,” investigators said.
Johnson, in particular, kept a girl for the purpose of sex through coercion and “did knowingly solicit and patronize a person under the age of 18 for the purpose of sexual servitude,” according to WSB-TV, citing the indictment.
Johnson, a linebacker who also played for the Atlanta Falcons in 2004, is charged with:
- One count of conspiracy to violate the RICO Act
- One count of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude
- Three counts of violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act
Authorities declined to release additional information about the case or indictment.
What is human trafficking?
Human trafficking is a “crime of exploitation,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Traffickers profit off their victims by forcing them to engage in sex acts or do labor.
“Traffickers can be strangers, acquaintances, or even family members, and they prey on the vulnerable and on those seeking opportunities to build for themselves a brighter future,” officials said.
In the U.S., children in welfare or juvenile justice systems, such as foster care, are the most vulnerable to human trafficking, officials said.
Kids and teens experiencing homelessness, those seeking asylum, people who struggle with substance abuse, migrant laborers, people who identify as part of the LGBTQ community and victims of domestic violence are also at increased risk.
Gwinnett County is about 30 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.
This story was originally published February 17, 2023 at 11:50 AM with the headline "He once scored in a Super Bowl. Now he’s accused of trafficking women in Georgia."