BEAUMONT, Texas — A Cleveland man arrested during a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) human trafficking operation has been sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to pay a $500 fine after pleading guilty to solicitation of prostitution.
Steven Floyd Lawrence, 37, received his sentence on Wednesday morning from Judge West. According to court records, the offense occurred on March 28, 2024.
Lawrence was one of 17 individuals arrested during a two-day, multi-agency operation led by DPS special agents in Beaumont. The operation took place from March 27-28 in the 2000 block of North 11th Street and resulted in the recovery of multiple human trafficking victims.
The operation involved DPS Criminal Investigations Division, Texas Highway Patrol, and several other state and local agencies. One suspect, Jeremie Deshaun Nellar Barabin, 39, was arrested on human trafficking charges, while others, including Lawrence, were charged with solicitation of prostitution.
The investigation remains active, and authorities have indicated that additional arrests are possible.
