A Dorchester man has been sentenced to seven years in state prison after pleading guilty to running a human trafficking operation.
Michael Leoney, 53, was sentenced on Monday.
Leoney pleaded guilty in Suffolk Superior Court on Feb. 1 to the charges of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual servitude and deriving support from prostitution.
Leoney was indicted in March 2013. His brother, Shaun Leoney, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years in state prison in connection with running a human trafficking operation in November 2015.
An investigation began in 2012 after the matter was referred by the Boston Police Department to the Attorney General’s office.
The investigation revealed Michael Leoney ran a human trafficking operations in Greater Boston, coerced woman into prostitution, advertised the women on websites alleged to advertise prostitution and managed the financial aspects of the operation.
According to investigators, Leoney typically trafficked Caucasian women while Shaun Leoney typically trafficked Hispanic women. Both men used frequent threats of violence to control the women.
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