An Oklahoma County judge has sentenced former Oklahoma City-area pastor Elmer Baca Flores, 41, to 30 years in prison after a jury convicted him of human trafficking for forced labor and sex crimes against members of his own congregation — a case the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) says is the first conviction for human trafficking for forced labor in Oklahoma history.
Source: News 9 (KWTV), Oklahoma City, Nov. 6, 2026
What the jury convicted him of
On November 3, 2026, Flores was convicted in Oklahoma County District Court on 13 counts of human trafficking for labor, one count of indecent or lewd acts with a child under 16, two counts of lewd or indecent proposals to a child, and one count of sexual battery, according to the OBN account reported by News 9. In line with this newsroom's minor-safety rule, no victim is named or identified in this report; the charges are described only in the court's own terms.
The sentence, announced on Friday, November 6, also includes mandatory sex offender registration, and authorities said Flores will face deportation after his prison term, Focal News reported. He had not yet been transferred into state custody when the sentence was announced.
How the investigation began
The investigation began in March 2025, when the OBN's Human Trafficking Unit received information that Flores was trafficking members of a church he operated out of his Oklahoma City-area home, News 9 reported. Agents interviewed several victims and gathered evidence that Flores forced them to quit their jobs and isolate themselves from their families, and required them to move into the church building, which also served as his residence.
Source: Focal News, Oklahoma City, Nov. 7, 2026
Victims told agents they were forced to work for Flores without compensation, investigators said. Flores threatened physical harm if they tried to leave, and allegedly claimed to be a member of the violent gang MS-13, according to the OBN. Agents said he used his position as a pastor to spiritually coerce victims by targeting their religious convictions.
“One victim told agents that Flores gave her a test to prove her ability to resist temptation. During this test, the victim was sexually battered by Flores,” OBN Public Information Officer Mark Woodward said, in the bureau's account of the case.
Arrest and the road to trial
The Oklahoma City Police Department arrested Flores in April 2025 on three counts of lewd acts with a child, and he was booked into the Oklahoma County Jail. In October 2025, the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office amended the case to add five counts of human trafficking for labor and one count of sexual battery submitted by the OBN Human Trafficking Unit; the prosecution grew further before trial, and the jury ultimately convicted on 13 trafficking counts.
Flores led Ministerio Levantando Adoradores Para Cristo Inc., a religious organization operating in the Oklahoma City area, according to local reporting on the case. Prosecutors said the congregation members he exploited were people who had trusted him as their pastor — the power he held over them, investigators said, was spiritual as much as physical.
“I appreciate the amazing work by our Human Trafficking Unit and the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office in this landmark case,” OBN Director Donnie Anderson said. “And I applaud the bravery of these victims for coming forward to hold their trafficker accountable.” The bureau says the conviction is Oklahoma's first for human trafficking for forced labor.
Why this case matters beyond Oklahoma City
Forced-labor trafficking — compelling people to work through force, threats or coercion — is prosecuted far less often than sex trafficking, and cases built inside a faith community are rarer still. Victim advocates say congregations built around a single charismatic leader, where members live, work and worship in one closed circle, can be especially hard for victims to leave and hard for outsiders to see into. OBN said Flores's arrest also led the District Attorney's Office to file additional human trafficking charges involving eight more adults.
For Punjabi and other immigrant faith communities across the United States, the case is a reminder that exploitation can hide inside trusted community institutions — and that victims who come forward can be protected. OBN and local advocates direct victims to support services, including Dragonfly Human Trafficking Victim Services in Oklahoma.
What happens next
Flores will serve his 30-year sentence in the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, must register as a sex offender, and, authorities said, will face deportation proceedings in connection with the case. Any appeal would run through the Oklahoma courts; no appeal had been announced when the sentence was reported.