In a significant ruling, a federal judge has added a substantial financial penalty to a life sentence given to a man from Lake Placid, who was found guilty of orchestrating a horrific sex trafficking operation. The judge ordered Shannima Yuantrell Session to pay more than $300,000 to the women and girls he exploited.
On October 6, Judge Aileen M. Cannon of the U.S. District Court issued a restitution order for 47-year-old Session, also known by the street name “Shalamar.” Previously, he had been sentenced to life in prison after a jury convicted him on ten counts of sex trafficking involving coercion and deception, as well as three counts related to minors.
The restitution amount, set at $327,735, is said to reflect the profits earned from the heinous act of selling his victims for sex.
The trial, which took place over nine days in September 2024, revealed a timeline of abuse stretching from 2011 to 2013 and again from 2016 to 2019. Evidence presented showed how Session specifically targeted vulnerable individuals dealing with housing issues, neglect, and substance abuse. He deceived them by offering false promises of legitimate job opportunities and housing help, but once he had them under his control, he stripped away their autonomy.
Under his coercive grasp, these victims were forced into performing commercial sex acts in degrading conditions, such as migrant worker trailers and orange groves.
Further evidence during the trial illustrated that Session maintained his power through a terrifying mix of drug dependency and violence. He utilized drugs to exploit his victims’ existing addictions and regularly resorted to intimidation, sometimes armed. A particularly horrific incident described in court involved him taking two victims to a lake and threatening to drown them if they did not obey.
According to U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones, “Human trafficking represents one of the most horrifying crimes imaginable, robbing individuals of their freedom and humanity. This restitution order represents a step toward justice for those who suffered because of Session’s cruelty.”
The investigation into this dreadful case was carried out by the FBI’s Miami division in collaboration with the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.
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