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Crime & Courts

Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking and Arson

Bobby McNeil was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison following his conviction on five felony counts, in an open and developing case.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 19, 2026, 4:36 p.m. ET
Developing · not yet checked for updates

This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.

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According to official records from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Bobby McNeil, age 46, was on August 18, 2026, to 30 years in federal prison. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad D. Schimel announced the sentence on August 19, 2026. McNeil was convicted at trial of five felony counts: sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; arson in furtherance of a federal felony; arson of a building/rental property; interstate transportation for the purpose of prostitution; and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The case remains open and developing. Evidence presented at trial established that between 2021 and 2022, McNeil used force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion to compel an adult female victim to engage in commercial sex acts on the south side of Milwaukee. Further evidence showed that McNeil committed a retaliatory act of arson by throwing a Molotov cocktail into the home of another adult who attempted to help the trafficking victim escape. At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Lynn Adelman stated that McNeil's abuse of the victim was "extreme and borderline sadistic" and noted that his prior record is "rife with violence, especially against women." Judge Adelman stated that the sentence "is necessary to protect the public from [McNeil's] violent and predatory behavior." Following his imprisonment, McNeil will serve five years on supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Milwaukee Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abbey Marzick and Porchia Lewand.

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  1. Version 119 Aug 2026, 20:36current

    First published.

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