Local Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Human Trafficking and Exploitation
A California court has handed down a six-year prison sentence to Christopher Lee Card, a man who exploited a woman under the guise of offering her a modeling job. The case, which was plea-bargained, also included charges of assault against his grandmother's caretaker that were dropped after he pleaded no contest.
Card, 40, is also known as Samir Haseen and had been living in Emeryville at the time of his arrest in 2021. According to court records, the victim reported being held against her will at a Union City hotel where Card offered her what appeared to be legitimate modeling work but instead forced her into multiple sexual encounters with strangers for financial gain.
The woman stated that she was lured by Card's promises and that he controlled every aspect of her life during her time under his coercion. The human trafficking charges were eventually dropped as part of the plea agreement, which saw Card receive a reduced sentence due to the time credits he earned while awaiting trial.
However, the case was not without its challenges. In 2023, allegations surfaced that Card was mentally unfit for trial, prompting a delay in the proceedings. Despite these setbacks, Card ultimately received a lengthy prison term that reflects the severity of his crimes.
The sentencing marks a conclusion to one of several high-profile cases involving human trafficking and exploitation in the Bay Area. Law enforcement officials have emphasized the need for continued vigilance in identifying and prosecuting such cases, particularly those involving vulnerable populations.
A California court has handed down a six-year prison sentence to Christopher Lee Card, a man who exploited a woman under the guise of offering her a modeling job. The case, which was plea-bargained, also included charges of assault against his grandmother's caretaker that were dropped after he pleaded no contest.
Card, 40, is also known as Samir Haseen and had been living in Emeryville at the time of his arrest in 2021. According to court records, the victim reported being held against her will at a Union City hotel where Card offered her what appeared to be legitimate modeling work but instead forced her into multiple sexual encounters with strangers for financial gain.
The woman stated that she was lured by Card's promises and that he controlled every aspect of her life during her time under his coercion. The human trafficking charges were eventually dropped as part of the plea agreement, which saw Card receive a reduced sentence due to the time credits he earned while awaiting trial.
However, the case was not without its challenges. In 2023, allegations surfaced that Card was mentally unfit for trial, prompting a delay in the proceedings. Despite these setbacks, Card ultimately received a lengthy prison term that reflects the severity of his crimes.
The sentencing marks a conclusion to one of several high-profile cases involving human trafficking and exploitation in the Bay Area. Law enforcement officials have emphasized the need for continued vigilance in identifying and prosecuting such cases, particularly those involving vulnerable populations.
this guy is soooo lucky!! 6 years in prison is like, what?!?! 
he's gonna come out and be all like "hey I'm free now" and just go back to his modeling scam thingy 
...nope not on my watch!!! 
i mean i feel bad for the victim and all, but 6 years is soooo harsh...i was expecting more like 10 or 20 years 
. and what's with the plea deal? can't they just lock him up good?! 
anyway, glad it's over now...hope the victim gets the support she needs 
This case is a stark reminder of the insidious ways in which human traffickers prey on vulnerable individuals, often under false pretenses. The perpetrator's modus operandi is particularly disturbing - using promises of legitimate employment to lure victims into exploitative situations. It's disheartening that it took an arrest in 2021 for Card to be held accountable for his actions.
just saw the sentence for Chris Card (aka Samir Haseen) 6 years is kinda meh considering what he did 
and in 2022 alone, there were over 1000 reported cases in CA 
it's insane how ppl think modeling jobs r legit just cuz u got a contract 
. btw did u know the avg conviction rate for human trafficking cases is around 20%? 
This whole thing is just heartbreaking... I mean, 6 years might seem like a lot, but considering he manipulated this poor woman into multiple traumatic experiences, it's actually not that harsh if you ask me 
. I'm glad the system was able to hold him accountable, even if it took a while and some setbacks along the way 
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this is so fishy, you know? like they're trying to cover up something. six years is a pretty light sentence considering all that trauma he put his victim through. I mean, what if she was on the witness stand and suddenly started having mental breakdowns or something? it's like they were too scared to deal with her testimony. and what about his grandmother's caretaker? why did they drop those assault charges? is it because the victim didn't want to get all messy and complicated? 
at least the victim is safe now 
hope she gets support & counseling to move on from this traumatic experience 
also need more awareness & education about human trafficking so these cases can be prevented in the future 
anyway gotta give props to the victim for speaking up and not letting Card get away with it. and btw, who controls every aspect of someone's life? sounds like a bad Netflix show 
I'm so relieved that justice has been served! 6 years is still too long for someone who did this to another human being but I guess it's a start. We gotta make sure our laws are strict enough to catch these scumbags and protect everyone from exploitation. 
I mean, it's way too lenient considering what that poor woman went through 
But on the other hand, 6 years is still a pretty harsh sentence if you ask me 
Maybe he should've taken out both of them instead? 
. We gotta keep supporting those victims and keeping our eyes open for people like him who think they can get away with it 
. But on the other hand, the dude exploited an innocent woman and nearly ruined her life – that's some serious karma right there 
. And can we talk about how hard it must've been for her to go through all that? It's like, the justice system is trying to balance out fairness with empathy, you know? 
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even small towns like Emeryville had a victim in this case! 
Six years isn't even close to enough time considering all what he did 
. I'm glad they dropped the assault charges, but the modeling job thing... how many other people does this guy think he can get away with? It's disgusting 
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i mean, doesn't the fact that he hurt someone so badly kinda warrant a longer sentence? anyway, i'm glad law enforcement is still on it and trying to catch these people who do this stuff...it's just really messed up what people will do to others for money or whatever