The son of a prominent NCAA and former NFL head football coach has been arrested and charged with numerous counts related to a prostitution and sex trafficking ring.
Mikal Smith, son of coach Lovie Smith, was indicted and arrested on multiple charges in Tempe, Arizona on Thursday.
Slew of criminal charges
The charges against Mikal Smith were announced last week via a tweet from Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, and those charges included conspiracy, illegally conducting an enterprise, first-degree money laundering, pandering, receiving the earnings of prostitution, sex trafficking, and threatening or intimidating others.
“A State Grand Jury has indicted Mikal Lee Smith, of Chandler, in connection with an alleged prostitution ring in Arizona. His co-defendant, Aprel Mae, is facing similar charges. Smith is accused of using constant surveillance and threats of retaliation to keep the victim … under his control,” Brnovich wrote.
A State Grand Jury has indicted Mikal Lee Smith, of Chandler, in connection with an alleged prostitution ring in Arizona. His co-defendant, Aprel Mae, is facing similar charges. Smith is accused of using constant surveillance and threats of retaliation to keep the victim (1/3) pic.twitter.com/PqSnQDqXf2
— Mark Brnovich (@GeneralBrnovich) September 3, 2020
According to the indictment, Smith and his co-defendant, Aprel Mae Rasmussen, operated an illegal prostitution and sex trafficking ring between December 2018 and September 2019 during which time at least one adult female was “induced and encouraged” into engaging in acts of prostitution. Smith allegedly used constant surveillance and threats to keep her in line.
Innocent until proven guilty
Local NBC affiliate KPNX reported on September 3 that Smith was arrested by the police without incident outside of his home.
Police had only learned of Smith’s residing in Tempe after the grand jury warrant for his arrest was unveiled in mid-August.
Court documents showed at that time that Smith was being held in custody on $100,000 bond and was scheduled for an arraignment hearing on September 10.
Of course, both Smith and his co-defendant Rasmussen are presumed to be innocent until convicted as guilty in a court of law. With that said, this sure doesn’t look good for either of them.
Lovie Smith is currently the head coach at the University of Illinois and was previously the head coach of the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL.
Smith’s son Mikal played for the University of Arizona in the 1990s prior to eventually becoming an assistant coach under his father with both the Bears and the Bucs, as well as a short stint by himself with the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff in between those jobs. Neither Smith has coached in the NFL since 2015 when the elder Smith was fired from Tampa Bay.
The post Son of former NFL coach Lovie Smith arrested on sex trafficking charges first appeared on Conservative Institute.
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