Coast Human Trafficking Ring Leader Sentenced to 50 Years
The leader of a human trafficking ring that operated in at least two Mississippi Gulf Coast cities has been sentenced to 50 years in prison, court officials announced Tuesday.
On Monday, 26-year-old Malik Causey of Harrison County pleaded guilty to two counts of human trafficking. The case began in the summer of 2023 after a then-14-year-old runaway was contacted on Facebook by Causey’s co-defendant, Jasmine Drake, who had been instructed to find additional victims.
According to investigators, Drake met the juvenile in person and brought her to Causey. The pair created online advertisements and forced the child to engage in sex acts with multiple men for money over several days at hotels in Gulfport and Biloxi.
Authorities said Causey also recruited several adult women and ran a prostitution operation under his direct control. He arranged hotel rooms, set prices, and tracked earnings. Investigators later recovered a ledger from Causey’s iCloud account documenting expenses and profits.
In exchange for performing sex acts for money, the women were provided lodging, food, and alcohol. During his plea, Causey admitted to running a prostitution ring but stated he did not intend to involve a juvenile.
Court records show that once Causey learned the 14-year-old was reported missing, he and Drake contacted the child’s mother. The mother then contacted the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, and the juvenile was recovered in Long Beach.
The victim’s mother addressed the court during sentencing, describing the impact the crimes had on her daughter.
“H uman trafficking inflicts devastating harm on its victims and breeds a range of related criminal activity,” said District Attorney Crosby Parker.
Causey is a Harrison County native who has lived in both Gulfport and Biloxi and has ties to Pearl River County.
Judge Christopher Schmidt sentenced Causey to 50 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The first 27 years will be served day-for-day without the possibility of parole or early release.
