RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – A judge has sentenced a man to 20 years in prison on charges related to human trafficking.

Twenty-eight-year-old Khayree Saafir was sentenced on November 4, 2020.

The investigation into Saafir began on January 11, 2020 when officers with the Reno Police Department made contact with him and a female in a parked vehicle after the two were acting suspiciously.

The female told the officers that she was driving Saafir around to sell controlled substances. She also provided text messages between her and Saafir that corroborated her story.

Officers also learned that Saafir was on parole and recently released from prison.

After being arrested, the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office said Saafir attempted to contact the witness through a third party to prevent her from appearing in court and testifying.

After his initial arrest, detectives with the Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit (H.E.A.T.) began investigating human trafficking crimes linked to Saafir and developed information that he was exploiting multiple young women throughout Washoe County. HEAT Detectives also determined Saafir was continuing to exploit young women while in custody at the Washoe County Detention Center, including a twenty-year-old young woman who he manipulated into providing him with money on his inmate account.

Detectives intercepted multiple conversations between Saafir and the victim, where she described engaging in numerous acts of prostitution on his behalf. Evidence of Saafir’s influence of the victim included hundreds of conversations where he continuously induced the victim to engage in prostitution and provide him with the proceeds despite the victim expressing reluctance and fear to do so.

Additionally, detectives intercepted written communication sent to a young woman in Las Vegas giving her explicit instructions on how to continue to engage in prostitution, setting quotas for earnings, and reminding her of the amount she must provide to him.

Detectives also intercepted communications made by Saafir that detailed attempts to have his human trafficking victims trade sexual acts for defense attorney representation and to make false accusations against the prosecuting attorney in an attempt to avoid being prosecuted.

Saafir pleaded guilty to seven felonies, including three counts of Pandering; two counts of Attempting to Bribe a Witness to Influence Testimony; one count of Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Sell, second offense; and one count of Conspiracy to Violate the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, second offense.

At sentencing Deputy District Attorney (DDA) Barrack Potter argued that 20 years is an appropriate sentence in this case due to Saafir’s criminal history and his ongoing criminal activity, even while in custody.

Saafir is eligible for parole after eight years have been served.

If you, or someone you know has been a victim of Sex Trafficking call the Human Exploitation and Trafficking unit at (775) 325-6470 or Secret Witness at 322-4900, www.secretwitness.com, or text the tip to 847411 (TIP411) keyword – SW.

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