Indianapolis ‘pimp’ to serve 3 life sentences for operating violent human trafficking ring

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A federal judge in September handed down three life sentences to an Indianapolis man found guilty of operating a “violent human trafficking enterprise.”

Kristopher McDonald, 37, was convicted in May on several charges:

• 2 counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion.
• 2 counts of travel act, a federal crime to engage in interstate or international travel, for the purpose of furthering certain “unlawful activities.”
• Murder in aid of racketeering activity.
• Brandishing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
• Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
• Enticing an individual to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution.

Prosecutors say from June 2023 through April 2024, McDonald recruited and exploited women for commercial sex in Indianapolis and other states. McDonald also used force, fraud, and coercion to control the activities of the women, limiting their access to the outside world and threatening them with physical violence.

McDonald also murdered a man at a hotel who “engaged in commercial sex with one of the victims.” McDonald came into the room, holding the man at gunpoint and demanding $200.

The man fired his own gun in self-defense, striking McDonald – but McDonald retreated, loaded his weapon, and shot the man 11 times in the back.

Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, said in a release on McDonald’s sentencing that his “reign of terror is over.”

“Kristopher McDonald’s reign of terror is over, and our community is safer because of it. This sentence sends a clear message that those who exploit vulnerable individuals through violence, addiction, and fear will face the full force of federal justice,” he said.

Online court documents show McDonald will serve his life sentences in a Texas facility, but it was unclear which one.

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