A Jersey City pimp who lured girls with the promise of "the good life" and then forced them into prostitution pleaded guilty Thursday to running a major

human trafficking

and

prostitution

ring, the state Attorney General's Office said.

Allen E. Brown

, aka "Prince," pleaded guilty to first-degree racketeering and second-degree theft by extortion before Superior Court Judge Kevin G. Callahan in Jersey City. Under the plea agreement, the state plans to recommend that he be sentenced to 20 years in state prison, including 12 years and nine months of parole ineligibility. Brown, 48, is scheduled to be sentenced May 19.

The plea agreement also calls for Brown's mother, Tecora P. Brown, 73, of Bayonne, to plead guilty on April 19 to third-degree promoting prostitution. She faces probation. The ring also included a niece and nephew of Brown's, authorities said.

"This guilty plea ensures that the defendant will serve a lengthy prison sentence," said Attorney General Paula Dow. "Allen Brown liked to call himself 'Prince,' but he was the antithesis of a prince, using narcotics, violence and coercion to keep young women enslaved in a life of prostitution. We have put an end to his reign of human exploitation."

Brown -- who authorities say had a home in the Society Hill development in Jersey City -- admitted in court he used violence and drugs to control women and force them to engage in prostitution. He also admitted that he extorted money from one victim who received an inheritance from her family estate, making threats against her and her family to force her to turn over the money.

The charges resulted from "Operation Red Light," an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau and the Jersey City Police Department. Previously, four other defendants in the case pleaded guilty.

"One by one, we are bringing those responsible to justice for this tragic case of forced prostitution," said Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor. "The five guilty pleas taken to date, and particularly this plea from the ringleader, are a testament to the outstanding cooperative investigation conducted by the Division of Criminal Justice and the Jersey City Police Department."

"I would like to commend all of the individuals involved in taking down this dangerous man who preyed on women," said Jersey City Police Chief Thomas Comey. "Allen Brown was a leader in a human trafficking enterprise that law enforcement was able to infiltrate and dismantle. Mr. Brown will no longer be a predator on our streets."

The women forced to prostitute for Brown were given heroin and cocaine so Brown could control them and exploit their addiction, authorities said. They were driven to "tracks" -- motels or streets in Jersey City and sometimes locations in other cities - where they were expected to make a certain amount of money each night turning tricks to cover their daily drug debt and provide a profit for Brown.

If they did not make the daily quota, ranging from $500-$1,000, they were refused drugs, beaten or denied entry into the house until the money was made.

The investigation revealed that for nearly two decades, Brown ran prostitution rings in Jersey City, coercing scores of women to prostitute for him. Through the years, Brown had residences that served as "stables" in a number of locations in Jersey City, where he would hold women brought from other cities.

He brought women from cities including Camden, Atlantic City, Elizabeth, Newark and Philadelphia. His last location was 18 Lyon Court in Jersey City, an upscale condo development on Newark Bay in the Society Hill section of the city.

Annie Cooper, aka "China," 41, of Jersey City -- the woman who acted as boss over the women for Brown -- pleaded guilty to first-degree racketeering on July 28. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16.

Anthony Evans, 52, and Brown's nephew, Arthur Brown, 38, both of Jersey City pleaded guilty to third-degree promoting prostitution. Evans is scheduled to be sentence April 16 and Arthur Brown on May 5. A third man, Jerome Robinson, 31, of Newark was indicted on similar charges and those charges are still pending. The three transported the women to work as prostitutes and obtained drugs for them, authorities said.

Allen Brown's niece, Tecora L. Brown, 35, of Jersey City, previously pleaded guilty to third-degree money laundering. Her sentencing is scheduled for May 5. She and Marlo Taylor, 39, of Newark, are accused of aiding Allen Brown in laundering the proceeds from his illegal activities.

Director Taylor noted that the Division of Criminal Justice has established a toll-free Human Trafficking Hotline (877) 986-7534 for the public and law enforcement that is open 24/7 to receive reports of suspected human trafficking. All information received through the hotline will remain confidential.