Brothers East Outlaw Motorcycle Gang president indicted for human trafficking
Michael Cupp, of Baytown, is accused of organizing and profiting from prostitution involving multiple women.
Author: Brett Strahan May 7, 2025
https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/crime/brothers-east-outlaw-motorcycle-gang-member-indicted-trafficking/502-9b32cccb-0092-4af5-afa2-5c37fdf6b8a8
BAYTOWN, Texas — The national president of a notorious outlaw motorcycle gang with Southeast Texas ties was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday for human trafficking.
Michael Cupp, of Baytown, is accused of organizing and profiting from prostitution involving multiple women. Cupp is a founding member and the national president of the Brothers East Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (BEAST) according to a probable cause affidavit.
According to court documents, Meagan Presswood confirmed that Cupp had been collecting profits from a woman from Orange who was involved in prostitution.
Presswood was allegedly acting as a “manager” for the woman. According to court documents she helped organize sex acts, set prices, coached her on what to do, and even threatened her when things didn’t go as planned. She also used her own accounts to collect payments.
Extensive text messages from this “manager’s” phone showed clear evidence of these activities, including frequent communication with Cupp.
Presswood and Cupp would reportedly transport the woman around multiple cities to perform sex acts including, Houston, Dallas- Fort Worth, Lake Charles, and Beaumont.
Cupp became increasingly involved in the trafficking, he asked how often the woman could work, helped create online ads, and arranged travel. He also offered to lend a gun for protection, even though he is a convicted felon.
Cupp’s involvement extended to directing others in the gang to provide security and transportation for the women. Messages show him giving orders, demanding a cut of the earnings, and eventually discussing adding more women to the operation according to court documents.
Further evidence came from phones and interviews. Police interviewed the woman who was working as a prostitute, and admitted to turning tricks (a term for sex work) in several cities and said she was afraid of Presswood, who had frequently assaulted her on multiple occasions according to a probable cause affidavit.
The woman’s phone showed she was still active in prostitution and feared continued harassment from her Presswood.
DPS says they observed other BEAST members involved in transporting Tomlinson, and a firearm was found during a traffic stop.
Based on the evidence, the investigator (the “affiant”) believes that Michael Cupp committed felony promotion of prostitution and other related crimes, and is seeking an arrest warrant.
Tomlinson was also placed in custody for a felony arrest warrant out of Smith County.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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