Arlington man accused of cross-country human trafficking ring

Man accused of cross-country human trafficking ring

Arlington, Texas resident Randolph Lewis has been arrested in Michigan, accused of operating a human trafficking ring with at least 10 victims across several states.

Police in Michigan say an Arlington man is connected to at least 10 victims. One of those victims called 911 earlier this week and her conversation with police in a hotel lobby opened up an entire human trafficking investigation. 

Randolph Lewis

What we know:

A video shows 33-year-old Randolph Lewis of Arlington purposely hurting himself in a jail cell after police in Michigan arrested him.

Lewis is now accused of running a cross-country human trafficking ring.

Investigators revealed on Thursday that Lewis is connected to at least 10 victims.

What they're saying:

Police in the City of Southfield, a suburb of Detroit, were dispatched to a hotel on a report of destruction of property early Monday morning.

"Some as young as 17 years old were coerced, threatened and manipulated into a life of sex trafficking," said Chief Elvin V. Barren of the Southfield Police Department. 

A 21-year-old Louisiana woman said Lewis broke her windshield because she brought him the wrong food. The woman eventually disclosed Lewis had rented out multiple hotel rooms, and she didn't even know she was in Michigan.

The woman also disclosed that her and other women were forced to have sex with Lewis and other men in several states, including North Texas.

"The two met in Louisiana. The two would travel back and forth from Louisiana and Dallas twice a month," said Chief Barren.

Dig deeper:

Inside the Michigan hotel rooms, Southfield police found sex toys and condoms. Body camera footage shows the moment Lewis was arrested in the hotel lobby.

Detectives learned Lewis' victims were advertised on sex websites.

Another victim came forward to the police in Louisiana prior to Lewis' trip to Michigan. That's what caused him to leave Louisiana.

Charges are expected in Louisiana as well.

Local perspective:

Public records do show Lewis had an address at a home in South Arlington. He was arrested in Dallas County in 2024 and Tarrant County in 2023 for an outstanding warrant for drug charges.

It's unclear if any victims have come forward to law enforcement here in Texas.

Police in Michigan are still working to identify the other victims.