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WEST JORDAN — After being sentenced to prison for exploiting prostitution on Friday, a Bountiful man apologized to two women who spoke about their experience with him and their time recovering.
"Both of them deserved better, and I failed them in a damaging way," he said.
Michael Ricks, 52, also apologized to his family and ex-wife, whom he said did not know about his criminal activities and their world "came crashing down" when he was charged.
"I destroyed a wonderful marriage of 27 years to perhaps the best person I've ever known. And it was for nothing but my pure selfishness," he said.
Ricks was sentenced by 3rd District Judge Kristine Johnson to two terms of one to 15 years in prison for two counts of aggravated exploitation of prostitution, a second-degree felony; and a two terms of zero to five years in prison for tampering with a witness and possession or use of a controlled substance, third-degree felonies.
He pleaded guilty to the charges under a plea deal in October.
She also sentenced him for aiding prostitution, two counts of possession or use of a controlled substance, and violation of a pretrial protective order, all class A misdemeanors, resolving those sentences with credit for the 844 days he has already spent in jail.
Johnson said it will be up to the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole whether Ricks is given credit for those days served for other charges. She said the sentence for tampering with a witness would run consecutive to the others.
"This isn't just about … allowing prostitution. It is about enabling, encouraging and perhaps, even more troubling, profiting from prostitution and that causes me significant concerns," she said.
Kaytlin Beckett, with the Utah Attorney General's Office, said Ricks found the "most vulnerable people you can find and benefited from their vulnerability."
She said Ricks had a consistent pattern, with the three victims in the case and others authorities investigated — he would find what they need, provide that, and then become manipulative and force them into situations.
"Mr. Ricks is not just a manager … (he) engaged in a pattern of manipulation and intimidation of three vulnerable individuals," Beckett said.
She said it was clear Ricks was living a double life — with his family, he spoke about religion and church; and, at the same time, he was managing women living in two apartments and forcing them to engage in sex to earn him money. She said the situation was "crying out" for consecutive sentences.
A victim at the sentencing said Ricks imposed rules for her — only purchasing heroin from him. She said this was for her safety, but she said she still overdosed in his care three times and he saved her with naloxone. She said she was homeless when she met him, and he gave her a home and drugs, so she never needed to face withdrawals.
"This was a dream," she told the court.
She said he took 30% of the money she brought in, but after paying for rent and drugs, it was everything she made.
After 18 months of therapy, she said she has barely scratched the surface of the damage caused by her experience with Ricks. She said he knew what he was doing and manipulated women.
"When I worked for Mike, I had to learn how to completely detach and turn off my emotions. I had to become an object in my mind and use more drugs to do what needed to be done. I lost all sense of self worth and developed a false sense of self, completely dependent on a dollar," she said.
A statement from another victim was read at the sentencing. The woman wrote she was "constantly manipulated and coerced into doing things that (she) did not want to do."
She felt disconnected and lost her sense of safety; and knew Ricks' motives were purely for financial reasons.
Another woman who had spent time with Ricks, but is not associated with any of the charges, spoke in support of him. She said all of the women were drug addicts before they met him, and it was their addictions that held them there, not Ricks. She said she had a previous pimp, and her experience with Ricks was different.
"He's not abusive. He's not aggressive ... he saved us," she said.
