A Memphis man has been sentenced to nearly five decades behind bars in Mississippi for human trafficking and drug trafficking.
Lonnie Coleman was previously found guilty of two counts of human trafficking and one count of possession with intent to transfer fentanyl. He was sentenced in Hinds County Special Circuit Court to 20 years for each human trafficking count and eight years for possession with intent to transfer fentanyl – a total of 48 years.
“We are committed to continuing our investigative operations to undermine human trafficking rings, and we are intent on seeing these cases through in the courtroom,” Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch said after Coleman’s sentencing. “When we put these predators away, we help these victims take back their power from their traffickers, and that is an important foundation as they rebuild their lives.”
As a habitual offender, Coleman will serve each of the 48 years day-for-day without the possibility of parole.
Since 2020, investigators with the Mississippi Attorney General’s office have led 57 multi-jurisdictional operations, made 98 arrests, and recovered 335 victims – including 22 minors – in a department-wide effort to combat human trafficking.
