Sparks flew during the final day of testimony at the trial of a former high school and college football star accused of sex trafficking and witness tampering as the defendant tangled with one of the government's attorneys while testifying in his own defense Thursday.
Four women testified earlier in the day that they were prostituted by Deonte Womack, 48, a former Southern Methodist University football standout who was indicted in early 2020 on one count of witness tampering and later indicted on three sex trafficking counts.
A 1993 graduate of Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Womack was a star running back for SMU between 1993 and 1997 and led the Mustangs to wins over the Arkansas Razorbacks in 1995, 1996 and 1997, including a 212-yard performance in 1997 when SMU beat Arkansas 31-9.
He is accused of forcing three women -- identified in a superseding indictment as"J.G." "A.B." and "T.S." -- into working for him as prostitutes and, when threatened with prosecution, attempting to coerce the minor son of one of the victims -- identified in the indictment as "D.J." -- into lying to investigators. A fourth woman, "C.C." also testified that she worked as a prostitute for Womack.
On Thursday, after testimony from the three women and the teen, U.S. District Judge Brian Miller dismissed the witness tampering count and one of the sex trafficking counts, saying the government had failed to provide sufficient evidence for the jury to make a determination but ruled in favor of sending the evidence to the jury in the remaining two counts.
"I think that's the first time in 15 years I've done that," Miller remarked after the decision.
Miller was confirmed as a federal judge 15 years ago.
Ruling on a motion for a directed verdict from defense attorney John Wesley Hall Jr. of Little Rock, Miller said it wasn't established by testimony from T.S. that she had been forced to turn to prostitution or that Womack had attempted to coerce favorable testimony from J.G.s son, D.J.
A.B., the first witness of the day, provided detailed testimony backed up by photos she had provided to the prosecution of the abuse she said she suffered whenever she displeased Womack by disagreeing with him or by trying to leave. One photo, which she said was taken after an argument during which she said Womack punched her in the face showed her upper lip pulled out to reveal a bloody hole just above her gumline directly underneath her nose. Other photos showed her with facial swelling and a black eye that she said were taken after two other altercations.
A.B. described her relationship with Womack, which she said began in May 2019 and lasted until November of that year, as romantic at first but which she said grew worse over time. She said the day after she met Womack, he took her to Cupid's Lingerie to purchase several items of lingerie, then took photos of her to post in ads placed in online personals on several websites investigators said cater to prostitution services. She described the relationship as one of total control by Womack.
"I would always get told where to go and he would take me everywhere," she said.
Shown a copy of an online ad for dates with a "Torie Touch," her face darkened and her voice dropped to a near whisper.
"Who is that?" asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Bryant.
"It's me," A.B. replied, barely audible.
She said she worked for Womack for about seven months having between three to seven "dates" daily and earning between $1,000 and $2,000 a day.
"I gave it to Womack," she said, when asked what she did with the money.
"Ever keep any?" asked Bryant.
"No."
She testified that once, when she spurned Womack's advances for sex, that he went into a violent rage.
"All I remember is his hands on my neck," she said, beginning to sob, "squeezing ... I passed out and lost all feeling in my whole body. After that he went to sleep."
J.G., who was with Womack from 2008 until 2019, first in Houston and then in Little Rock beginning in 2016, testified that she was what is known as a "bottom b****," trade slang for the highest ranking woman in a prostitution ring, the one who is closest to the pimp and has his trust. She testified that Womack controlled all of the ads and that he kept a close watch on any of the women he had working for him.
Once, she said, after seeing Womack push T.S. to the floor during a trip to Las Vegas, she tried to intervene but said she abandoned the attempt after he told her to "shut up or get some too."
She said Womack often slept with other women, especially those under his control, but said she did not date others.
"I wasn't allowed," she said, saying she was only permitted to have sex with other men for money.
Testifying in his own defense, Womack told the jury that J.G. was the one who hatched the idea for an escort service and that she came up with the formula for in-call and out-call services, pricing, and kept up with the details of the business.
"With this escort agency it was all her," he said. "I didn't even understand this life ... It was all about the business model for me ... I was all about get all the money."
He characterized his relationship with J.G. as one that was open.
"If you want to have a fling," he said, "that's cool ... It was OK as long as we were honest about it."
He said J.G. was often drunk, which he said led to fights between the two, and he said problems with A.B. arose when she would get too possessive.
"It's like the roles were reversed," he said. "She was like, 'you're mine' and it caused a bad dynamic."
Womack bristled when challenged by Bryant, with the two often shouting and talking over one another during the cross examination. He admitted to having slapped A.B. in the past but said it was only after she had attacked him.
"Let me get this straight," Bryant said, angrily, "you're saying every one of these women who came in here are lying?"
Then, putting up the photo of A.B. showing the hole in her upper lip, Bryant pointed toward the jury and said, at a near shout, "You want them to believe this came from you slapping her?"
When she pointed out that all four women had accused him of hitting them, Womack exploded.
"That's not proof," he said. "Where's the evidence?"
About A.B.'s claims of abuse whenever she attempted to leave him, he said, "close your eyes and open your ears, she's lying."
The jury is set to return at 8:30 a.m. for closing statements and final instructions before beginning its deliberations on the two remaining counts. If convicted, Womack could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.