Kristopher McDonald, 37, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to three life terms in federal prison for running a violent sex-trafficking enterprise and committing a deadly shooting connected to his criminal operation. A federal jury convicted McDonald on all eight counts, including racketeering, sex trafficking, and multiple firearm offenses.
According to evidence presented at trial, between June 2023 and April 2024, McDonald recruited and exploited numerous women for commercial sex, using coercion, manipulation, and violence. Prosecutors said he tightly controlled every aspect of the victims’ lives—confiscating their identification documents, restricting their phone access, and isolating them from the outside world.
His violence ultimately escalated to murder. On October 11, 2023, McDonald fatally shot a man multiple times after a dispute over payment following a commercial sex encounter with one of the victims. Investigators said the killing was part of McDonald’s pattern of using intimidation and brutality to maintain dominance over his operation.
“Kristopher McDonald’s reign of terror is over, and our community is safer because of it,” said U.S. Attorney Tom Wheeler. “This sentence makes clear that those who exploit vulnerable individuals through violence, addiction, and fear will face the full force of federal justice.”
ATF Columbus Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jorge Rosendo condemned McDonald’s crimes as “heinous,” adding that “there is no place in our society for criminals like him.” IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes agreed, calling McDonald “a ruthless predator” whose removal “cannot be overstated” in importance.
The case was investigated jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; IRS Criminal Investigation; and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt imposed the life sentences, formally ending McDonald’s violent influence over his victims and the community.