An Atlanta man is set to plead guilty in Federal Court on Friday to transporting a woman across state lines for purpose of prostitution.
Khari Matthew "King Black" Troutman is set to appear before Federal Magistrate Court Judge Bill Carter.
Prosecutor Jay Woods said he faces up to 10 years in prison.
Chattanooga Police said they were dispatched on Jan. 20 to Applebees on Shallowford Village Drive on a kidnapping call. Iesha Ornelas said she had been held against her will by Troutman for the last several days.
She said she met Troutman at the Comfort Inn at Silver Spring, Md., about a week and a half earlier and agreed to travel with him to North Carolina and work for him as a prostitute. She said Troutman put in an ad for her services on Backpage.com in North Carolina, Knoxville and
Ms. Ornelas said the agreement had been that Troutman would return her home within a few days so she could visit with her children who are in foster care, but he refused. She said she told Troutman at the Microtel she would no longer prostitute for him and would find her own way home to Maryland.
She said he responded by grabbing her, pushing her and hitting her in the face, leaving several bruises.
Police said she begged Troutman to let her leave the Microtel to get something to eat. He then walked her from the motel to Applebee's. She said she borrowed a phone while in the women's restroom and called police.
Troutman initially told police he and "Killa" were in a romantic relationship and were traveling the country to sightsee with two other prostitutes - one from Kentucky and one from Georgia.