Human trafficker Steven Gilbert gets life in prison, no parole for at least 174 years

Convicted human trafficker and rapist Steven Gilbert will not be eligible for parole for at least the next 174 years after a Lorain County Common Pleas judge sentenced him on Thursday. Gilbert, 36, of Elyria, will be eligible for parole only after serving 174½ years in prison — which could increase to 184½ years depending on his behavior in prison, Lorain County Common Pleas Judge James Miraldi ruled. Miraldi also fined Gilbert nearly $316,000, or double the amount prosecutors said Gilbert deposited in his bank accounts during a years-long scheme to traffic as many as nine women into prostitution. Gilbert either "really doesn't understand the severity of harm, or he does understand and is trying to manipulate the system to his advantage," Miraldi said. "Either situation demonstrates to me why this defendant should be imprisoned for the rest of his life, and I will do everything I can to keep him there." Gilbert had no reaction as the sentence was imposed, and did not apologize for his crimes. Instead, in a rambling statement, Gilbert claimed his constitutional rights were violated, that his attorney was ineffective and that the victims who testified against him for two weeks in April were lying on the stand. The Lorain County Prosecutor's Office asked for 217 years to life in prison and nearly $474,000 in fines, while defense attorney Steve Albenze asked "for some leniency" for Gilbert. Gilbert was convicted of raping and assaulting women and providing them with drugs in exchange for them making money for him through forced prostitution for years. Gilbert's "reign of terror wasn't over until he was arrested," county Assistant Prosecutor Matt Kern said. "The only way he will be stopped is when someone makes him, and now that task falls to this court. He should never be free to do this to another person." Further proving his "culture of control," as recently as two weeks ago Gilbert was writing letters to or calling family members to contact witnesses against him, the prosecutor said. Following a two-week trial in April, a jury found Gilbert guilty of 29 felony charges including trafficking in persons, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, rape, kidnapping, aggravated robbery, compelling prostitution, promoting prostitution, sexual battery and money laundering, along with numerous firearms specifications that added 15 mandatory years to his prison sentence. Miraldi also found Gilbert guilty of two counts of having weapons under disability — or, having firearms while being a convicted felon — that was not considered by the jury and labeled Gilbert a violent offender and sexually violent predator. A Tier III sex offender, Gilbert will be required to register with his local sheriff's office every 90 days in person for the rest of his life if he is ever released from prison. The victims were forced to buy drugs from Gilbert, who rented them apartments, motels and hotels in Lorain and Erie counties and lent them cars to get to and from "dates," "licks" or "moves" — code words for paid sex with male clients called "johns." Albenze agreed that while his client was convicted of very serious charges, "one thing we've learned, he's made a series of poor choices and decisions in the handling of these matters." Gilbert is "facing over 200 years if the court were to stack everything," his attorney said, asking Miraldi to "give him a definite term and a chance to have an out date (from prison) at some point." Kern said Gilbert continued scheming to make money even while being held in the Lorain County Jail awaiting trial. Gilbert told a girlfriend in a letter he sent her from jail that he was going to sue the state for $15 million over a previous criminal sexual abuse conviction, "settle for 10 and have 5 (million) after taxes," Kern said, reading from the letter. "See baby I'm working on us to get paid," Gilbert wrote. Asking for a sentence of more than 200 years in prison before Gilbert would be eligible for parole, Kern said the defendant "chronically" committed sex offenses and "if given the chance, he will offend again." Kern implored Miraldi to label Gilbert a "sexually violent predator" who planned the "torture" of his victims even while in jail and committed crimes that put their lives in jeopardy. Gilbert also tried to get a girlfriend to engage in prostitution to make money to pay his bond in the case and frequently violated court orders to have no contact with his victims prior to trial, Kern said. "The only thing that will stop him from committing offenses is being locked up and physically prevented from doing so," Kern said. Gilbert "does not respect the rule of law, he does not respect the court's authority. The only thing he will respect is being locked up for a long time." Albenze said the letters from jail displayed his client's "complete illiteracy to the law and the legal process." "My client was never motivated by sex or sexual gratification," Albenze said, trying to rebut the "sexually violent predator" classification in court. "His crimes were done to make money." Miraldi ruled that Gilbert is a sexually violent predator "beyond a reasonable doubt." In a rambling, nearly 10-minute statement to the court, Gilbert told Miraldi he didn't think the case against him was fair. "I feel like it was it's like violating my due process because it's depriving me of my life and liberty over something I didn't commit," he said. Gilbert claimed numerous constitutional rights violations; alleged that Albenze didn't effectively represent him in court; claimed he was never given a second attorney he requested; wasn't granted an expert witness to rebut the prosecution's case; was denied continuances; and was denied a competency evaluation. "I was in jail having a lot of mental problems, hearing voices and seeing things, feeling like nothing matters," Gilbert said. "My mental health was never brought into this matter." He said his defense didn't challenge the victims' credibility because "what they said on the stand was different than what they said in their statements," especially about allegations Gilbert carried guns. Gilbert also alleged prosecutorial misconduct, questioning if the burden of proof was enough to convict him and how he could be accused of a criminal enterprise when it was "only me, so there shouldn't be no enterprise." The victims "controlled their own money … it wasn't me controlling them," Gilbert claimed in opposition to what five victims testified in court. "I never compelled anybody to be a prostitute, they chose to prostitute to buy drugs with or without me." Twice during his statement, Miraldi stopped Gilbert and told him what he was talking about were issues that he could raise with the court of appeals. "I just believe this was a lot of discrimination in this case," Gilbert said without offering evidence. "I'm a Black male and the white females didn't get charged with nothin' when they committed a lot of crimes, a lot of crimes." In closing, he asked Miraldi to show leniency. "Take into consideration everything on this case to show leniency on me, to show a chance to prove myself, that I'm a good father to my children, a good uncle to my niece and nephews," Gilbert asked. "I never had no intent to hurt nobody, maybe to cause harm but not serious physical harm." Gilbert's victims disagreed. One woman gave a victim impact statement Thursday in which she spoke for herself and two others. She said Gilbert's ex-girlfriend and another woman he victimized asked her to tell the court that Gilbert "destroyed and ruined" their lives. "For myself, after what just took place, I keep in my head our one commandment that Jesus gave, which is 'to love one another as I have loved you,'" she said. "I'm trying to keep that at the forefront. At the end of the day, we're dealing with a human being here but one who clearly and blatantly shows no remorse or sees anything wrong with the actions they committed." "And mine and so many others' lives have been affected by this ordeal," she said. "We have to go to sleep with this every night for the rest of our lives." "Only God knows how much time it will take to rehabilitate him," she said. "I just ask you to consider what has been done to us." Another victim present in the courtroom declined to speak. After the hearing ended, she and the survivor who spoke embraced, cried and spoke quietly to each other, surrounded by family. In a news release Thursday, Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson said Gilbert's sentence resulted from his "multiyear operation of a human trafficking ring in which he physically and psychologically abused women to act as prostitutes for his benefit." Gilbert raped and beat the women, threatened them with violence, drugged them, and withheld food to ensure they kept earning money for him, according to the prosecutor's office and testimony at trial. "Steven Gilbert committed monstrous acts that violated the most basic rights of his victims. Our community can rest easier knowing that he will be off the streets for the rest of his life," Tomlinson said. "I also hope that this sentence shows to offenders throughout Northeast Ohio that my office will do everything in its power to hold human traffickers accountable." The nine women and three men who served as jurors found Gilbert not guilty of two counts of rape, one count each of trafficking in persons, compelling prostitution, and promoting prostitution and several specifications. Prosecutors dismissed 17 criminal charges against Gilbert mid-trial after some of his alleged victims did not testify. Gilbert already is serving a 10- to 15-year prison sentence for drug trafficking following a conviction last year in Miraldi's court, a result of a case put together by the Lorain County Drug Task Force. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @DaveOBrienCT.