BEAUMONT, Texas — A Cleveland man arrested in a Texas Department of Public Safety human trafficking operation was sentenced to three years' probation and ordered to pay a $500 fine after pleading guilty to solicitation of prostitution.
Steven Floyd Lawrence, 37, received the sentence Wednesday morning from Judge West. Court records show the offense occurred March 28, 2024.
Lawrence was among 17 people arrested during a multi-agency operation led by DPS special agents in Beaumont.
The two-day operation, conducted March 27-28 in the 2000 block of North 11th Street, resulted in multiple human trafficking victims being recovered.
The operation involved the DPS Criminal Investigations Division, Texas Highway Patrol, and several other state and local agencies.
One suspect, Jeremie Deshaun Nellar Barabin, 39, was arrested on human trafficking charges, while the others face solicitation of prostitution charges.
The investigation remains active, and additional arrests are possible, according to DPS officials.
This is a developing story. We will update it with more information as we receive confirmed details.
