Milwaukee Man Sentenced for Sex Trafficking and Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl Causing Death

Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 23, 2026, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Damien D. Gambrell (age 44) to 240 months' imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death.

According to court records, in 2022, Gambrell exploited two adult victims by manipulating their vulnerabilities, isolating them, and using threats and violence to compel them to engage in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit. Gambrell transported his victims to multiple locations where he advertised them, arranged prostitution dates for them, and collected the money they earned, including in Green Bay and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and various cities in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois.

Gambrell also directed a fentanyl distribution operation in the Green Bay area in 2024. Evidence showed that Gambrell supplied fentanyl to distributors working on his behalf and directed their sales through electronic communications. One of those distributors sold fentanyl, sourced from Gambrell, to a female victim who died of a fentanyl overdose on May 25, 2024.

"This case demonstrates how the commercial sex trade in this day and age is rife with shocking violence, manipulation, drug abuse and abject fear," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel. "This is what so-called 'prostitution' looks like. It is neither innocent nor harmless, and those who drive the demand for commercial sex fuel this evil and share the blame. This defendant is a dangerous career criminal who has been in and out of jail and prison since he was 17. He profited off the misery he inflicted on the women he trafficked and the suffering he caused through the drugs he delivered into our communities. The only way we can be safe from him is to put in prison."

"Human trafficking and the distribution of fentanyl is a scourge in our communities and Damien Gambrell engaged in both. He is a repeat criminal offender who trafficked women through coercive means across multiple states for his own financial benefit," said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr. "He also directed a drug trafficking enterprise which distributed fentanyl. This 20-year sentence reflects the seriousness of the offenses committed by Gambrell. The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to combat both human and drug trafficking in our communities."

This case was investigated by the Brown County Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Green Bay Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erica Lounsberry and Alex Duros.

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