By Ivan Pereira
Corey “Magnificent” Davis, 35, pleaded guilty Friday in federal court in Bridgeport, Conn., for organizing the ring, which included many girls under the age of 18, federal prosecutors said. Davis lured his victims into a life of exotic dancing and prostitution by posing as a promoter and promising them modeling contracts, according to Grace Chung Becker the deputy assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.”Through his guilty plea, the defendant admitted responsibility for exploiting a young girl,” she said in a statement. “The Justice Department will continue the vigorous enforcement of all federal criminal laws that protect vulnerable girls and others who are forced into prostitution or other forms of exploitation.”Davis admitted using nearly 20 women since 2005 and forcing them to work for $5,000 a night in both Connecticut and New York, prosecutors said. Davis, who was previously convicted in Brooklyn of unlawfully selling firearms, kept the girls' earnings for himself.The criminal complaint stated that Davis left the girls, the youngest of whom was 12, in isolated environments and would attack them when they did not cooperate. In one attack, he stuck a gun into the mouth of a victim and threatened to kill her, while in another he slashed a girl on her shoulder and head with a box cutter for keeping money from him, prosecutors said.Davis is scheduled for sentencing June 2 and could face up to 23 years in prison. As part of his deal, he is expected to pay $50,000 in restitution to his victims, the Justice Department said.He was also expected to forfeit many of his assets, including two $29,000 Mercedes-Benz vehicles, $110,000 in jewelry and the $286,000 equity in a two-family home in Springfield Gardens, valued at about $576,000, prosecutors said.Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
