Man pleads guilty in N.Y. sex trafficking case, faces 15-year minimum sentence

Chad Barclay, a 33-year-old Trinidadian national and lawful permanent resident, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and admitted to kidnapping six additional victims, according to the Justice Department.

During his plea hearing, Barclay admitted that on Sept. 13, 2022, he enticed a victim to his residence to engage in commercial sex, then robbed and sexually assaulted her, prosecutors said. As part of his plea agreement, Barclay also stipulated to kidnapping six additional women between 2022 and 2023, according to the Justice Department.

Barclay was charged in August 2023 in a 20-count superseding indictment involving five victims. The charges included interstate prostitution, Hobbs Act robbery, kidnapping, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, witness tampering and obstruction of an official proceeding, prosecutors said. A second superseding indictment filed in May 2026 charged him with sex trafficking involving one of the original five victims and added interstate prostitution, Hobbs Act robbery, kidnapping and related charges involving two additional victims, according to the Justice Department.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said Barclay “has now admitted that he kidnapped, violently raped, and robbed multiple female victims.” Duva said the prosecution shows the department “will always seek justice for survivors of trafficking and abuse to prevent more of these heinous crimes.”

U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York called Barclay “a dangerous predator who used force and intimidation to sexually assault a victim.” Nocella said the guilty plea holds Barclay accountable for the harm he inflicted and signals that his office will vigorously prosecute those who use violence, enticement and coercion to facilitate sex trafficking.

FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle of the New York Field Office said Barclay’s “brutal and predatory actions inflicted profound harm on his victims.” Barnacle said the joint FBI-NYPD investigation ensured that Barclay’s conduct was exposed and that he was brought before the justice system.

Barclay faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, prosecutors said. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI’s New York Field Office and the New York Police Department investigated the case as part of the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, according to the Justice Department.

Trial Attorney Olimpia E. Michel of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andy Palacio and Lorena Michelen for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case.