United States v. Lawrence Ray is a high-profile federal criminal case prosecuted in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (case number 20 Cr. 110). The case centers on Lawrence 'Larry' Ray, who was convicted of operating a racketeering conspiracy from 2010 to 2020, exploiting and coercing young adults, primarily students from Sarah Lawrence College, into sex trafficking, forced labor, extortion, and other abusive schemes. Ray, along with co-defendant Isabella Pollok, used psychological manipulation, violence, and financial control to victimize at least a dozen individuals, forcing them into prostitution and other exploitative activities while extracting money through false narratives of debt and guilt. The scheme began when Ray moved into a basement apartment shared by his daughter's college friends in 2010, gradually isolating and controlling them over the decade. The trial commenced in April 2022 before Judge Lewis J. Liman, lasted over two months, and featured harrowing victim testimonies detailing years of abuse, including physical violence, sexual assault, and surveillance. Ray was convicted on January 25, 2022, of all 15 counts, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, forced labor, and related charges. On November 22, 2023, he was sentenced to 60 years in prison. Pollok pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and is awaiting sentencing. The case drew widespread media attention, inspiring the HBO docuseries 'Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence,' and underscores issues of coercive control and cult-like manipulation in modern trafficking networks. This prosecution by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York exemplifies federal efforts to combat human trafficking under statutes like 18 U.S.C. § 1591 (sex trafficking) and RICO provisions. Appeals are ongoing, with Ray challenging his conviction in 2025.