Dave Shumpert III, 30, of Des Moines, Iowa, was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa to life in prison after being found guilty by a jury on June 11 of charges related to sex trafficking, distribution of a controlled substance, and obstruction.
“This sentence reflects the violent and reprehensible acts of coercion this defendant used to exploit the victims for his own personal profit,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Human traffickers use people like disposable products for an illegal business and violate them in endless ways when doing so. We recognize the courage of the survivors who faced their abuser at trial, and today’s sentence ensures that Dave Shumpert will not victimize anyone else ever again.”
“When the jury returned its guilty verdict in June, I pledged that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa would aggressively prosecute human traffickers who exploit vulnerable victims through violence, coercion, and drug addiction,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Waterman for the Southern District of Iowa. “Today’s life sentence delivers on that commitment. The defendant preyed on three vulnerable young women, profited from their exploitation — even while incarcerated — and attempted to intimidate and threaten a government witness. I commend the extraordinary courage of the victims who testified against him and thank our partners at the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Des Moines Police Department for their outstanding work in bringing him to justice. This sentence sends an unmistakable message: those who prey on the most vulnerable members of our communities will be held accountable.”
“The evidence developed through this investigation helped show the court how Shumpert exploited vulnerable women, profited from their abuse and attempted to obstruct justice even after his arrest,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard Sabatini of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Kansas City. “HSI is proud of the investigative work that led to today’s sentence and delivered a measure of justice for the victims. HSI will continue to relentlessly pursue human traffickers who exploit vulnerable people through violence, coercion and fear.”
According to court documents, Shumpert, aided by his co-defendant, Haley Morrison, 30, also of Des Moines, coerced three women to perform commercial sex acts using a combination of physical force, threats of force, a coercive debt scheme, withholding of drugs, and other threats of harm. Shumpert and Morrison targeted vulnerable young homeless women struggling with drug addiction, provided them with shelter and drugs, and then used violence and other coercive means to compel the women to engage in commercial sex. Shumpert and Morrison advertised the women online, set the prices for the commercial sex acts, communicated with the sex buyers, rented hotel rooms, and kept most of the proceeds of the commercial sex acts. Electronic communication evidence between Shumpert and Morrison demonstrated that Shumpert directed Morrison on how to manage and control the victims. One of the victims testified about the physical violence Morrison employed, such as hitting a victim with closed fists and dragging her by the hair. The victims explained their fear of homelessness, drug withdrawal, and of being indebted to Shumpert.
Shumpert kept up his coercive scheme even after being arrested, placing thousands of calls to Morrison to discuss his criminal commercial sex business, and even received over $32,000 on his commissary accounts from the victims’ commercial sex proceeds. While incarcerated, Shumpert sought to intimidate and threaten a government witness by having someone outside of the jail post threatening messages on his social media accounts.
Morrison previously pled guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion on Nov. 25, 2025, and was sentenced on Aug. 3 to 174 months in prison.
The jury convicted Shumpert of three counts of sex trafficking, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, obstruction of a sex trafficking prosecution, distribution of a controlled dangerous substance to a person under 21, conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering.
HSI is investigating the case with assistance from the Des Moines Police Department.
Trial Attorney Slava Kuperstein of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Jennings for the Southern District of Iowa are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Contact
MacKenzie Tubbs
Public Information Officer
515-473-9300
USAIAS.PAO@usdoj.gov
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