PLANO, Texas — A Plano man and woman have been found guilty of federal sex trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, according to U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. William McKinnley Garland, 43, and Anastasiya Claire Lyons, 34, both of Plano, were convicted following a seven-day trial.
Garland was found guilty of coercion and enticement and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, while Lyons was convicted of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. The verdicts were reached on January 22, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan.
“William Garland and Anastasiya Lyons preyed on vulnerable young women to lure them into their web,” said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. “Through horrific physical abuse and psychological manipulation, they exploited women into selling their bodies for the benefit of Garland, Lyons, and the other co-conspirators.”
Plano Police Chief Ed Drain praised the efforts of law enforcement, stating, “William Garland and Anastasia Lyons’ conviction is the result of years of dedicated work by our detectives, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
The FBI’s Dallas Special Agent in Charge, R. Joseph Rothrock, emphasized the severity of the crime, noting, “Human trafficking is a heinous crime that often operates in plain sight and may go undetected for months or years.”
Evidence presented at trial revealed that Garland and Lyons operated a sex trafficking ring between 2020 and December 2023 in Plano. Victims were recruited under false pretenses of modeling or escorting jobs, only to be forced into prostitution at various hotels in Collin County. The women were subjected to physical abuse, including beatings and tasers, and lived in fear of Garland’s threats.
Three co-defendants, Robberta Marie Khan, 29, of Euless; Jalen Alexander Bobo, 26, of Dallas; and Selena Rose McCombs, 25, of North Carolina, have pleaded guilty to related charges and are awaiting sentencing.
Garland and Lyons face up to life in federal prison. Sentencing will be determined by the court following a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. The case was investigated by the Plano Police Department and the FBI’s Dallas Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa Miller and Chalana Oliver.