Sunday, March 06, 2016
Yassin Yusef was one of the men released from prison on Friday
Reported by Liz Lohuis
NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -Three Somali men wrongfully convicted in a sex trafficking sting have been released from prison. It’s part of the biggest sex slavery case in Nashville, which authorities said turned out to be a lie. “I am happy to be out. Thanks to God, I got my freedom. They took 53 months out of my life,” said Mohamed Omar.
It's been a nightmare eight years in the making. The sex trafficking investigation started in Minnesota in 2008 and spanned from Ohio to Tennessee. Attorneys are calling the woman behind it all Jane Doe 2. Jane Doe 2 claims several women, including herself, were sold at two different hotels and an apartment in Nashville. After a lengthy investigation and a $10 million trial, a federal appeals court said it was all a made up story.“They concocted a story that became an incredible multi-state, multi-victim sex trafficking case, and it was none of that,” said attorney David Komisar.
Komisar said Jane Doe 2 lied about her name and age. She was not a kidnapped 15-year-old, but instead an 18-year-old runaway who chose to party with the man and have consensual sex. “Everything is over with hopefully and everything came to light and everybody sees the truth," said Yassin Yusuf.
Yusuf has spent more than four years in prison. "It was 53 months of a nightmare,” Yusuf said. There were 29 people total arrested in the case. “There were absolutely zero sex trafficking convictions,” Komisar said. Some are still awaiting their day in court.
“Finally the truth set us free so hopefully we will see our day in trial,” said Haji Salad. Sixteen men are still awaiting trial, but because a federal appeals court is calling the entire case made up, the future of those trials is up in the air.