A federal jury in Charlotte returned guilty verdicts today against two men accused of sex trafficking a minor, wrapping up what prosecutors describe as a hard-fought federal trial into the exploitation of a vulnerable teenager. The U.S. Attorney’s Office identified the defendants as Qualls and Ekong and said the case grew out of a multi-agency investigation.
In a post on X, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the verdict and shared a transcript of the courtroom announcement. The office credited the FBI’s Charlotte field office, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office for their investigative work. U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson wrote, “Those who prey on vulnerable teenagers deserve to be in prison,” and praised prosecutors who worked “night-and-day” to bring the case to trial, according to the post…