Brooklyn man Somorie Moses, who chopped up prostitute, charged with murder, sex trafficking

A Brooklyn pimp who admitted to chopping up his prostitute girlfriend and putting her severed head in his freezer was charged by the feds on Tuesday for the woman’s 2017 murder and also years of sex trafficking.

Somorie Moses, also known as “Sugar Bear,” was acquitted of Leondra Foster’s murder in Brooklyn criminal court in November 2019, but will now face a fresh murder charge by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District.

He’s also facing federal charges related to the sex trafficking of eight women, including minors, since 2003, according to authorities.

During his 2019 trial, Moses was found not guilty of murdering Foster to the shock of onlookers, though he was convicted of negligent homicide and concealing a corpse.

Moses’ attorney Julie Clark argued during that trial he couldn’t have killed her because he’s a businessman who didn’t want to hurt his bottom line, though the defense conceded he cut up her dead body.

In announcing their charges Tuesday, federal authorities alleged Moses murdered Foster by beating her to death and then using a knife and saw to dismember her. Moses then brought her torso and limbs to a Bronx sanitation site, but her head, hands and feet, including a foot with the name “Somorie” tattooed on it, were found by law enforcement inside a deep freezer in Moses’s apartment.

“Words do not adequately convey the depravity of the long list of actions Moses allegedly took to torment and terrorize women so he could traffic them for money,” FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael Driscoll said in a statement. 

“He’s accused of storing a woman’s head in his freezer after he killed her. Imagine how hard it is for his victims to come forward – but they have and should be commended for their bravery. They will help us bring Moses to justice for his alleged crimes, and will keep him from harming another human being.”

Moses, 45, would promise his victims the prospect of marriage to initiate sexual relationships with them before demanding they work as prostitutes, according to the US Attorney’s Office.

He brutally beat, raped, tortured and threatened his victims to work as prostitutes for him in Brooklyn and Queens, the feds said.

“Sex trafficking is a modern form of slavery that uses violence and fear to force vulnerable individuals to work for someone else’s profit, in this case resulting in the alleged brutal murder of one of the victims,” US Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement.

“This Office will continue to prioritize investigation and prosecution of these heinous crimes. I thank the victims for their bravery in coming forward to report the defendant’s crimes and hope that this prosecution will help bring them and Ms. Foster’s family closure.” 

His office stated this case is the first prosecution under federal statute that criminalized murder in the course of sex trafficking.

When one victim refused to prostitute herself, Moses used a taser on her until she complied, authorities said. Another time, he slashed a victim’s back and arms with a razor and beat her with a belt before he poured lemon juice on her wounds, the US Attorney’s office alleged.

And when another victim refused to work, he’s accused of putting a shotgun in her mouth and threatening to kill her and her kid.

The FBI worked with the NYPD on the case, with Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell calling Moses’ depravity “truly beyond the pale.”

“The NYPD is committed to protecting the survivors of sex trafficking and holding fully accountable anyone who would seek to profit through the abuse and exploitation of another human being,” Sewell said in a statement. “The level of depravity allegedly shown in this case is truly beyond the pale.”

If found guilty, the US Attorney’s Office said Moses could face life in prison and could be eligible for the death penalty.

The investigation was ongoing and anyone with information on Moses is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.