Deputy resigns after prostitution-related arrest

By Austin L. Miller

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Published: Thursday, August 6, 2009 at 9:21 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, August 6, 2009 at 9:21 a.m.

OCALA – A Marion County sheriff's deputy arrested last week on charges of soliciting prostitution in Orange County has resigned.

Meantime, an Internal Affairs investigation showed last week's alleged episode was not the first time Deputy Darius Harper has been caught in a compromising position.

Two years ago, the same Orange County sheriff's deputy who arrested Harper on July 29 confronted him in Orlando when Harper reportedly picked up a known prostitute.

At that time Harper was given a break when he identified himself as a sheriff's deputy.

At the time of his arrest, Harper was wearing fatigues and he told the deputy that he had just left a military meeting in Orlando.

In his resignation letter addressed to Sheriff Ed Dean, Harper wrote that "this incident has brought great shame and dishonor to my family, the Marion County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Army."

Harper said he resigned "to avoid any further embarrassment, dishonor, and shame to my family first and foremost and this agency." He also apologized to Sheriff Dean "for all the bad publicity that I caused the agency."

"Mr. Harper in his letter of resignation was very apologetic for his actions and it speaks to the service he has provided not only for his country, but for the Sheriff's Office. Again, it's an unfortunate incident," said Chief of Staff Tom Wilder.

A deputy since March 2000, the 38-year-old was arrested by an Orange County sheriff's deputy after the official saw him pick up a known prostitute in the 2300 block of South Orange Blossom Trail.

Before arresting him, the deputy noted in his report that Harper asked him for a second chance.

Harper, a member of the National Guard and former U.S. Army service member, was booked into the jail in Orange County and later released on $250 bond.

In the incident two years ago, the Orange deputy said that he was on his way home when he saw a black pickup stop for a prostitute. Once stopped, Harper identified himself as a Marion deputy and said he was giving someone a ride home.

Last week, Harper told the deputy he was just giving the girl a ride home. However, when word reached the deputy that the prostitute said she performed oral sex on Harper for $40, Harper told the deputy he was having problems at work and his employer was trying to fire him. He also said he has two ex-wives who were hounding him for mone>rtedly asked for another chance, saying he just got activated to go to Iraq and he would never return to Orange County. A sergeant and a lieutenant were consulted and a decision was made to arrest Harper because there had been a prior incident.

Police chief charged with soliciting prostitution

The Associated Press
posted on Friday 10.24.08

HAINES CITY, Fla. -- Haines City's chief of police has been charged with three counts of soliciting prostitution by the Polk County Grand Jury.

The grand jury, which has been investigating the Haines City Police Department, issued the indictment Thursday. Chief Morris West was served with a summons on Friday. He was not arrested because the charges are misdemeanors. A spokesman for the State Attorney's Office says West's first court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 26.

The grand jury's indictment says West solicited prostitution three times in November and December 2007.

West was named chief of the Haines City Police Department in 2003.

Telephone messages left with the police department and city manager's office were not immediately returned.

councilman was charged with soliciting prostitution

By Thema Ponton WBTW News 13 Reporter
Published: May 15, 2009

Horry County councilman Marion foxworth talked with News13 Friday afternoon about all of his charges being dropped.

The councilman was charged with soliciting prostitution in 2007.

He told News13's Thema Ponton he found out the charges had been dropped when he got a text alert from scnow.com, while he was at a county council committee meeting.

Foxworth said he didn't know what to think when he read the text alert on his phone and was shell shocked and caught off guard by the news.

"There are a couple of phrases in that statement that I do agree with.
One is that it was investigated to the hilt, they're accurate about that, to say that it was treated like any other case, I think boggles the mind."

Foxworth said with eight forensic tests and six DNA tests; this was not treated like a routine loitering case.
He said he is damaged by the incident.

"It's a situation that I'll likely carry with me and regardless of the outcome, but at this point it's not really about Marion.
Marion and Marion's family really has caught a lot of grief over the last seventeen months."

Foxworth said his oldest son went through his senior year of high school with the incident hanging over his head and his only daughter went through her freshman year of high school and sweet sixteen birthday, with the incident hanging over her head.
Foxworth also said he had talks with his two younger children he wasn't ready to have with them.
He said the situation and the attention surrounding it was distressing because it dragged on as long as it did and it was also disappointing.

Foxworth said, "This really isn't about Marion now, how do you put a price on a 23-year marriage?
By the same token, I think what we should do is move forward from here, this has been a dark and sordid tale for over a year now and I'm not the only one damaged, a lot of people have been damaged.
I'm exceedingly grateful to the good Lord for growing my faith with this obstacle, my family and my friends, my constituents that re-elected me in spite of this cloud hanging over my head.
What's important is the people that did re-elect me are given an equal shot at the distribution of governmental goods and services, which I feel is probably at the root of this entire situation.
It's for that reason that I'm trying to make lemonade out lemons.
I'm dedicating myself to the reapportionment that'll follow the 2010 census, in terms of the existing single member district configurations throughout the county and specifically for this part of Horry county and more importantly to pursue with all the vim and vigor I can muster, to change the election method within Myrtle Beach to a more representative single member district election method.
Move the election to even numbered years to correspond with general elections so that a larger sampling of the electorate and more representative sample of the electorate can decide what goes on in Myrtle Beach.
And I don't think you have to look much farther than this week and you ability to stroll across Ocean Blvd. at this point in time to see that perhaps a city council with six out of seven, basically living in two neighborhoods, perhaps they don't speak for the entire town."

Thema asked Foxworth if he ever thought the arrest and the attention surrounding him would ever be behind him for good.
Foxworth said, "I'm a firm believer that everyone has an obligatory paragraph that follows them and once you get something in that obligatory paragraph, it stays until you add enough to the obligatory paragraph that it just gets pushed out the bottom.
I intend to move on, move forward and perhaps the legacy or perhaps what I'm able to accomplish in terms of recreation facilities on Pine Island and Carolina Forest and even right here in the city of Myrtle Beach, and the changing, or being a part of the changing of the election method, so that people in this part of town actually have a voice at the table will mean more to folks in years to come than this situation.
They'll be some people regardless of the outcome, I could have been found innocent by jury, that would have still thought I was guilty, there were some that if I were found guilty that would probably think I was railroaded, regardless of the outcome, I've been damaged, I bear the scars, I bear the baggage."

Ex-Pa. trooper guilty of helping prostitution ring
The Associated Press

Posted on Fri, May. 15, 2009

HARRISBURG, Pa. - A former Pennsylvania state trooper was convicted of helping truck stop pimps and prostitutes by tipping them off about police operations. Shawn C. Dillard, 39, of Harrisburg, was convicted by a federal jury on Thursday of aiding interstate prostitution, obstruction and lying to investigators. He was acquitted of extortion and conspiracy. Prosecutors said he warned prostitutes about undercover operations and law enforcement sweeps at an Interstate 81 truck stop and that he accepted money and sexual favors in return for leniency. Authorities said his actions allowed the ring that prostituted children as young as 12 years old to continue. His arrest was part of Operation Precious Cargo, which identified pimps, most with ties to Toledo, Ohio, involved in the nationwide prostitution of young women and underage girls. So far it has resulted in the convictions of two former state troopers, 15 pimps and two chief prostitutes. A federal judge scheduled Dillard's sentencing for August. His lawyer, Bill Tully, did not immediately return a phone message left at his office seeking comment.

US secret service officer arrested during prostitution sting

The Associated Press
posted on friday 10.24.08

A Secret Service sergeant was arrested early Saturday after he allegedly tried to solicit sex from a D.C. police officer working undercover as a prostitute, authorities said.

The sergeant, driving his Secret Service vehicle and in uniform, encountered the undercover officer about 12:50 a.m. near 11th and K streets NW, said Inspector Brian Bray, commander of the District's narcotics and special investigations division.

After bantering about prices and services, Bray said, the woman agreed to perform oral sex for $20 and told the sergeant to meet her around the corner. He was arrested there by D.C. police officers, Bray said.

The sergeant, whose name was withheld by police, was cited for soliciting a prostitute, which carries a maximum 180-day jail sentence, Bray said. He was released.

The Secret Service said the man will be placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation and will also face an internal investigation.

By Kyla Igoe
Former Judge Pleads Guilty In Prostitution Scandal

Former State Supreme Court Judge Ronald Tills pleaded guilty today in federal court to a felony charge of unlawfully transporting a woman over state lines for prostitution.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Moscati, Tills admitted that in October of 2005, he transported a woman from the Western New York area to Kentucky and intended for the woman to engage in prostitution with members of a men's organization called the "Order of the Jesters", an organization of which Tills is a member of.

"He's held other people responsible when he was a judge, and today he stepped up and took his personal responsibility and acceptability," said Terry Connors, who represents Tills.

The former judge could now face 21 to 27 months behind bars, if he provides information to officials. The maximum sentence is 10 years, a fine of 250,000 dollars, and/or both. Other members of the"Order of the Jesters" include retired Lockport Police Captain John Trowbridge and a former law clerk to Tills.

Tills will be back in federal court in January for sentencing.

Ex-NY judge gets prison for recruiting prostitutes
By CAROLYN THOMPSON (AP)

BUFFALO, N.Y.
A retired state Supreme Court judge who procured prostitutes for his social club, including one woman who had appeared before him in court and another who was in the country illegally, was sentenced Friday to 18 months in prison.

Ronald Tills, who also served in the state Assembly and was a Court of Claims judge, was given the prison term and fined $25,000 after telling the sentencing judge he was embarrassed by his behavior and prays for the women he victimized.

"I will never be able to forgive myself for the possible harm I've caused the victims in this case", said Tills, 74.

As director of the Buffalo chapter of the Royal Order of Jesters, Tills arranged to have prostitutes at numerous gatherings in the United States and Canada between 2001 and 2008, prosecutors said.

An investigation of Niagara County massage parlors in 2007 exposed a judge and a police captain as customers of the businesses, which employed illegal Asian immigrants as prostitutes. The investigation led to the Buffalo Jesters and to charges against Tills, his former law clerk Michael Stebick and former Lockport police Capt. John Trowbridge for taking an illegal immigrant to Kentucky in Stebick's motor home for an October 2005 Jesters meeting.

"This was an undocumented alien, could barely speak English and was in no position to protest or deny any request for sexual activities at a Jesters event," assistant U.S. Attorney John Rogowski said.

The woman, who in a victim impact statement described being scared and mistreated, was paid $1,000, half of which she gave to her employer at the massage parlor, authorities said.

In seeking a lighter sentence for Tills, defense attorney Terrence Connors said Tills had given detailed information to investigators that could help in a broader probe of Jesters chapters in other cities.

The all-male, invitation-only organization, based in Indianapolis, is a division of the Freemasons and has 191 chapters and 22,000 members. Its motto is" Mirth is King."

Rogowski declined to comment on whether other chapters are under investigation or whether additional arrests are expected.

A statement from the national organization's board of directors said occasions of prostitutes at gatherings weren't condoned by the leadership and were" isolated acts of inappropriate, illegal behavior by only an extremely small fraction of our membership."

Trowbridge, 62, received two years' probation, and Stebick, 61, was given four months of home confinement at previous sentencings. Both have apologized for what they did.

In imposing prison time for Tills, U.S. District Judge William Skretny noted his leadership role in the community. He characterized Tills as a "real life Jekyll and Hyde," who was devoted to his family, community and church while abusing alcohol and soliciting prostitutes.

Connors, the defense attorney, blamed Tills' actions on alcoholism and suggested the judge's personality may have changed after coronary bypass surgery in 2002, a theory he said was backed by Tills' doctor and a friend.

"There's a paradox here that almost boggles the mind," Connors said, noting Tills cooked spaghetti dinners and planted flowers for community groups and had been married nearly 50 years.

More than 100 people wrote letters to the sentencing judge supporting Tills.

But Skretny called the case an"exceptionally serious" one that warranted incarceration. Particularly disgraceful, he said, was Tills' hiring of a woman he had previously sentenced.

Tills was allowed to remain free until he reports to prison Oct. 1.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Army Officer Arrested In Tampa Prostitution Sting
By VALERIE KALFRIN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 9, 2008

Steven Paul Barr
An undercover prostitution sting early this morning snared an Army Special Forces major assigned to MacDill Air Force Base, police said.

Steven Paul Barr, 37, of Columbia, S.C., was being held at Orient Road Jail today. Bail was set at $250. He is charged with soliciting someone to commit prostitution, a misdemeanor.

Barr, who was assigned to Fort Bragg, offered an undercover female officer $100 for sex at his hotel room, the Embassy Suites, Tampa police said. Police arrested him at 3:07 a.m. at North Nebraska Avenue and East McBerry Street and impounded his rental vehicle, a preliminary report states.

Chief of Madison Ambulance Association arrested
by News Channel 8's Crystal Haynes
Posted Aug. 30, 2008
Updated 9:48 PM

Madison (WTNH) -- Madison has had more than it's share of scandal since several police officers were accused of inappropriate behavior. Now, the chief of the Madison Ambulance Association is in some hot water of his own.

Operation: Prostitution Reduction scored another group of Johns for prosecution in New Haven. Among them was 30-year old Steven Shaw, a paramedic who is also the Chief of the Madison Ambulance Association.

"It's a very unfortunate situation. It's a very private family matter and it's a personal matter, and right now we're looking into it. Getting all the facts," said Chairman of the Madison Ambulance Association, Bill Lewis.

Shaw is married, he and his wife are expecting their second child. Lewis tells us Shaw has been put on administrative leave after being arrested Thursday's night sweep.

Lewis also says this is another public arrest that is hurting the town. Earlier this year several Madison police officers were accused of similar inappropriate behavior.

"It's absolutely heartbreaking. We have so many good people that worked so hard, unfortunately some situations happen," said Lewis.

However, residents like Stacey Bungero of Madison want to know why they keep happening in her town.

"I'm just a little shocked that there's another scandal here in Madison, because it's such a great place to raise kids -- to raise a family," Bungero said."I just don't understand why it keeps happening here."

The Ambulance Association is a private contractor and not a town department, so Shaw is not a town employee.

Bungero says that doesn't matter. "They should still be serving Madison, and upholding the values that we all share here, which is -- I think -- why most people come here."

The Madison Select board says they are referring this matter to the Ambulance Board, since Shaw is their employee. Lewis told us the board will meet sometime this week to address the matter.

Prosecutor put in education program after prostitution arrest
By Chris Collins / The Fresno Bee
08/27/08 22:39:41

A prosecutor in the Fresno County District Attorney's Office who was arrested this year on suspicion of soliciting an undercover officer disguised as a prostitute was placed into a police education program rather than being charged with a crime.

According to a Fresno police report issued this week, Deputy District Attorney Jeffery Bernel, 48, was arrested May 15 at a Motel 6 on North Crystal Avenue near Roeding Park after he offered an undercover officer $20 for oral sex

Afterward, Bernel filled out a suspect statement form that included a question that asked him why he was at the motel. Bernel answered with one word: "Stupid."

He is the third Fresno County prosecutor who has had a run-in with the law in the past 11/2 years.

District Attorney Elizabeth Egan said she could not comment on Bernel's case -- or whether he should have been prosecuted instead of placed into the police program -- because it is a personnel matter. But she said Bernel is still employed and is not on administrative leave.

Bernel, who has been an attorney since 1989, transferred from the Public Defender's Office to the District Attorney's Office two or three years ago, said Chief Deputy District Attorney John Savrnoch. Bernel is assigned to the domestic violence unit as a deputy district attorney IV, the top nonmanagement salary level. He makes at least $83,900 a year.

He did not return calls to his office.

Bernel was placed into a Police Department-run program called the Prostitution Abatement and Rehabilitation program, which helps first-time violators learn about the dangers of prostitution.

Police spokesman Jeff Cardinale said Bernel has already completed the course, an eight-hour class that costs $500.

As long as Bernel is not caught soliciting a prostitute again, Police Lt. Don Gross said, he will not be charged with a crime.

Prostitution law violators are eligible for the program, Gross said, as long as they have not been arrested for prostitution or soliciting prostitution before. He said the class teaches about the "costs of prostitution" -- how it degrades a neighborhood, the dangers of having sex with a stranger and how prostitutes are victimized.

The program, which started in 2003, has a high success rate and helps alleviate overcrowded courts and jails, Gross said. Less than 10% of the 100 or so people who go through the program each year are caught soliciting or engaging in prostitution again, he said.

Another prosecutor, David Evan Jones, was sentenced last month to five years of probation and 1,440 hours of community service after pleading guilty to felony impersonation. The California Attorney General's Office, which prosecuted the case, said Jones used his ex-girlfriend's personal information to create fake online profiles about her that included explicit messages soliciting sex.

A third prosecutor, Michael McKneely, was sentenced last year to two years on probation and 250 hours of community service after he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor theft charge. The Attorney General's Office said he embezzled money from the Fresno County Prosecutors Association while serving as treasurer.

Jones and McKneely have left the District Attorney's Office.

Egan said the former and current employees' criminal behavior is not a reflection of her overall staff, which includes 115 prosecutors.

"I don't draw anything from that, other than that they are humans with their own individual human frailties," she said. "We've got an office full of exemplary citizens who give their heart and soul every day to the victims of crime."

Officer paid to have sex with a prostitute
Lieutenant denies giving OK to officer in prostitution sting

8/25/2008 1:11 PM
By David Yates

Having sex with prostitutes is neither necessary nor ethical, testified the Beaumont police lieutenant who allegedly told suspended officer Keith Breiner it was alright for him to engage in sex acts with women working at a West End spa.

Lt. Curtis Breaux, of the Beaumont Police Department's narcotics division, testified Monday, Aug. 25, that he did not believe Breiner was an ethical person and orally instructed the officer not to engage in sex acts, as the week long hearing continued.

Breiner is fighting for his career after he and another officer had sex with female employees at a spa that the police suspected was a front for prostitution.

Breiner admitted to having sex with the women while he was undercover at the Sun Spa, and claimed his superior officers not only knew about it, but told him engaging in a sexual act was necessary to make a felony case against the spa and gave him the money to pay the women.
After being suspended indefinitely, Breiner filed a lawsuit and got a restraining order on July 24 to stop his scheduled Aug. 1 termination.

On Aug. 19, District Judge Gary Sanderson began hearing arguments to determine if his court is appropriate jurisdiction for the case that has brought not only Breiner's but the entire department's actions under scrutiny.

Sanderson will have to decide if Breiner's constitutional rights outweigh a collective bargaining agreement with the police officers' union and allow the litigation to continue.

Although officers having sex with a prostitute is permissible under law, it was not necessary in this case, and is a class B misdemeanor, Breaux said during the hearing.

Breaux also denied having any hands on involvement with the case, testifying that he delegated its operations to an officer under him.

Court documents and testimony show that Breiner was never provided with any written instructions that expressly ordered him not to engage in sexual acts while undercover at the spa.

Breaux testified that a lot of the department's business is handled orally.

Breiner's attorney, Larry Watts of Houston, insinuated that giving officers instructions orally gives the department "wiggle room."

Breiner said in his affidavit that Breaux approached him about having sex to pursue a felony prostitution case.

Breaux denied the allegation.

The city is represented by City Attorney Tyrone Cooper.

Case No. B182-127

excop_charged_with_soliciting_prostitutes
Friday, August 15, 2008 6:31:47 AM
Former Orange County Cmdr. Steve Young charged with solicitation

ORLANDO -- A former Orange County sheriff's commander could face up to four months in jail for his involvement with prostitutes.

The Orlando Sentinel reported that Steve Young was charged with soliciting two prostitutes while on the job.

Young resigned from the sheriff's office in May when the investigation into his possible involvement with a prostitute began.

The 28-year veteran worked as the night watch commander and oversaw more than 100 deputies.

State Trooper Arrested in Prostitution Sting

POSTED: 11:31 am CDT August 25, 2008
UPDATED: 12:17 pm CDT August 25, 2008

OMAHA, Neb. -- A Nebraska State Patrol trooper was arrested Friday night in connection with a prostitution sting operation in Lincoln.

Trooper Kerry Rogers was arrested on charges of soliciting a prostitute and was booked into Lancaster County jail.

Rogers, a trooper since 1990, is a Troop A member working in Omaha on the patrol's traffic department. The state patrol said he's on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

IMPD officer held in prostitution sting
By Francesca Jarosz and Kevin O'Neal
Posted: July 2, 2008

An Indianapolis police officer and his wife were arrested today, accused of running a prostitution ring out of their Greenwood home, and a former top criminal justice agency official was arrested for allegedly patronizing a prostitute. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Patrolman Jeremy Lee, 30, was fired after Johnson County prosecutors filed a felony charge against him of aiding in promoting prostitution. His wife, Lori Vernon-Lee, 36, faces five felony counts of promoting prostitution. Jerry McCory, 56, who most recently served as a Marion County sheriff's liaison at Jail II and Liberty Hall, is charged with patronizing a prostitute, a misdemeanor.

McCory, former director of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, a Merrillville police chief and a public Ana Bang Bang adviser to Mayor Bart Peterson, resigned from the Sheriff's Department on June 25 without explanation.

Lee was a probationary officer who joined the department in October. His arrest marks the fifth of an IMPD officer in the past 16 days.

We're disturbed by his conduct; we're ashamed of him," IMPD Chief Michael Spears said. "The thing the public needs to know is this investigation (was made) by the members of our own agency. … We're going to be a stronger agency for the removal of individuals like Mr. Lee."

Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner said the charges followed an IMPD investigation submitted to his office early today. He said a prostitution case involving law enforcement is unprecedented in the community south of Indianapolis.
"That's unusual anywhere," Hamner said. "But we've never seen it here."

According to a probable cause affidavit, Lori Vernon-Lee solicited women to work for her escort service and advertised their services through a local magazine.

Vernon-Lee would arrange for escorts to meet with clients at the escorts' homes or in hotels, where they would perform acts ranging from massage to sexual intercourse, according to interviews with clients and escorts cited in the affidavit.

Vernon-Lee would take a portion of the fee for their services.

According to an affidavit, Jeremy Lee told police he answered phones for his wife's service, acted as a bodyguard for women while they were with clients and helped collect money from the escorts while wearing his police uniform.

He said he assisted his wife with her business as far back as 1998, when she ran an escort service in New Hampshire, the affidavit says.

As part of the IMPD investigation, detectives randomly selected six names of clients who patronized Vernon-Lee's service from her log books. Among the names was McCory, whose name was listed under April 24, according to the affidavit.

McCory is accused of hiring an escort to perform oral sex. He was hired by the Sheriff's Department in December to monitor oversight and compliance working with private facilities operators. His salary was $69,866 a year. He was not subject to disciplinary action or investigation by the Marion County department during his tenure, said Julio Fernandez, a spokesman for the department.

"We had no idea about any of this," Fernandez said. "We didn't know about any investigation."

Since Lee had not completed probation, Spears said he could fire Lee without going through formal procedures that could include a hearing before the department's merit board.

No other police officers or public officials are suspected in the case, said Capt. Chris Boomershine of the IMPD strategic investigations branch.

Lee joins four officers facing charges filed in the past three weeks. Narcotics officer Jason S. Barber, 32, was charged last week with selling a handgun to a felon and official misconduct. He was released from jail today after a judge granted his request for reduced bond.

The previous week, narcotics officers Robert B. Long and Jason P. Edwards and patrol officer James Davis were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of marijuana. They resigned June 19.

"It's not fair to indict any other part of the Police Department other than to indict the personal decisions to commit intentional actions, which were criminal on the part of these ex-officers," Spears said in reference to the recent police arrests.

McCory turned himself in today, Hamner said, but paid his bond, which was set at $2,000. He did not return phone calls tonight seeking comment.

Lee, who was out of town on military training in Massachusetts, received the news of the charges and the warrant in a cell phone call this afternoon.

If convicted, the Lees each could face a maximum of eight years in prison and fines of up to $10,000 apiece, Hamner said. McCory could face up to a year and a maximum $5,000 fine.

Prosecutors said some of the Lees' bank and tax records still were being investigated.

Deputy Arrested In Prostitution Sting/
Deputy One Of 18 Arrested In Prostitution Sting Print E-mail
Thursday, 14 February 2008

Metro Detroit Crime & Police NewsDetroit, MI - During a two-day countywide sting, undercover Wayne County Sheriff's Deputies arrested 15 women who advertise themselves on the Internet as "escorts" but actually were working as prostitutes, Sheriff Warren C. Evans announced.

The women, along with two suspected pimps and one john arrived at various hotels in Romulus, Taylor, Dearborn Heights and Northville.

"We had been receiving complaints recently about women advertising online as "escorts" to cover their real jobs as Prostitutes," Evans said. "It's important that we do this kind of enforcement because we know prostitution often leads to other crimes, such as robberies and often involves illegal drug use."
While many of these women operate independently, some are under the control of pimps, who often abuse their prostitutes.

Evans said the enforcement took place on Thursday & Friday night after several weeks of investigation. Officers identified the women as escorts on Craig's List on the Internet. Male undercover officers contacted them via cell phone and arranged meetings. At those meetings, and sometimes during the preliminary cell phone conversations, the UC officers successfully negotiated sexual services for money.

Most would only talk "business" face-to-face, Evans said. One woman, however, actually advertised sex for money on her web page.

"It is interesting to note that ALL of the women who showed up to the hotels as "escorts" ended up offering to provide sex for money," Evans said. "None of them indicated they were "legitimate" escorts that would not engage in that type of activity."

The prices the women quoted ranged from $60 for 15 minutes to up to $300 for an hour. In some cases, two women arrived together for the same encounter. The women all are expected to be arraigned on misdemeanor charges.

Deputies also arrested two men on Friday night who are suspected of being one of the women's pimps. In the vehicle the men arrived in, officers found a laptop computer, which was seized as possible evidence. The men are expected to be arraigned Monday on charges of Pandering, which is a four year felony.

One customer that was seeking the services of one of the escorts on Thursday night turned out to be an off-duty Wayne County Sheriff's Deputy assigned to the jail. He was cited for solicitation. In reality, he had been making the arrangements with an undercover female deputy that answered the escort's phone after deputies arrested the escort. The off-duty officer was issued an appearance ticket for the misdemeanor ordinance violation and deputies impounded his vehicle. The off-duty officer has had his police powers temporarily removed and is now subject to departmental discipline.

"Clearly, people from all walks of life engage in this type of activity," Evans said. "It is always disappointing when you catch one of our own, but he certainly will be treated no differently than anyone else we cite for the same offense."

Sex Crimes Officer Arrested During Prostitution Sting
posted 10:06 pm Thu July 10, 2008 - Washington
Deputy One Of 18 Arrested In Prostitution Sting Print E-mail
Thursday, 14 February 2008

A Metropolitan Police Department (web|news) officer, serving with the Sex Assaults Unit, was arrested for soliciting an undercover officer during a prostitution sting, according to police sources.

Police sources said Detective Elgin Wheeler was arrested around 2:30 Thursday morning when he approached the disguised female officer at the intersection of West Virginia Avenue and Neal Street.

Detective Wheeler has been the recipient of several awards and commendations for his service in the police department. He has been with the department since 1989. Police confirm that he was off-duty and in plainclothes at the time of the arrest.

"I'm disappointed. Shocked and disappointed," said resident Barbara Thompson. A local man adds, "He should be dismissed because he's in the public eye. He's supposed to be a role model for the kids."

People who live in the Trinidad neighborhood are raising an eyebrow, after their community has been overrun recently with police officers putting a squeeze on an out of control crime rate. The neighborhood has been the site of police checkpoints that are now the subject of a civil liberties lawsuit.

Resident Andre Colter notes, "It's shocking. We have All Hands on Deck and the barricades. Seems like he would pick a better spot."

"I'm not surprised," said one resident. The case of a police detective from the sex crimes squad being arrested for soliciting an undercover officer disappointed many. People said the neighborhood has been plagued by prostitution.

Wheeler was charged with solicitation and placed on administrative leave from the department, and his police powers have been removed.

01/12/2008

AL - Mobile judge arrested on prostitution charge
Posted On Saturday, January 12, 2008 at 4:16:00 PM by SOI_Editor #1
Labels: .Alabama, /Crime-Judge, Offender-Male, Prostitution

A Social Security administrative-law judge was arrested in Florida this week on a prostitution charge and remains on the job in Mobile, authorities said Friday.

The Escambia County, Fla., Sheriff's Office charged Robert Gary Goosens on Wednesday with soliciting prostitution. Deputies said Goosens offered to pay $40 to an undercover deputy posing as a prostitute.

Goosens was not at work Friday, and his home number had been temporarily disconnected.

"He picked the wrong day," said Glenn Austin, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Office.

Goosens works in the Office of Hearings and Appeals, reviewing appeals from people who have been denied disabilities benefits by the Social Security Administration.

Nathan Holmes, a spokesman for the federal agency's Atlanta office, said there is no rule requiring dismissal of administrative law judges who have been convicted of misdemeanor offenses. He said supervisors will review Goosen's case at its conclusion.

"The judge is still continuing on duty in the Mobile office," Holmes said, "and will continue to remain on duty until there is some adjudication."

Holmes could not immediately provide Goosens' salary, but the Press-Register reported in 2002 that the minimum annual pay then for administrative law judges at the Social Security Administration was $94,000.

Administrative law judges are civil service employees and are not subject to Senate confirmation.

According to the arrest report, Goosens drove up to the corner of Lynch and Citrus streets in the Brownsville area of the county and said he'd pay the undercover deputy $40.

Austin said Goosens agreed to meet the woman down the street, and then he pulled into the parking lot of a neighborhood bar, where deputies arrested him.

Goosens, 57, of Navarre, Fla., will answer his charges in Escambia County, Fla., court on Jan. 30.

Austin said authorities have been cracking down on drugs, prostitution and other vice activity in that area for about a year.

"The Sheriff's Office has an ongoing operation in this area," he said. "The number of crimes in the area has dropped dramatically. ... It's not like we picked this area for the first time ever."

Official Charged With Soliciting Sex
Billy Hardin Arrested On Monday
Reported By Nancy Amons

POSTED: 11:17 am CDT March 11, 2008
UPDATED: 5:51 pm CDT March 11, 2008

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. -- A judicial commissioner in Bedford County was charged on Monday with offering to buy sex from a woman who came before him on county business.

Video: County Official Charged With Soliciting Sex

Police said Billy Hardin, 59, faces charges of official misconduct, solicitation of prostitution and sexual battery charges after an investigation last weekend.

Investigators said Hardin offered to pay the woman $25 for oral sex when she went to talk to him about a warrant that she had taken out against someone.

The solicitation of prostitution charge is a misdemeanor, but the other two charges are both felonies.

Police are now investigating whether the judicial commissioner offered other women money for sex.

Hardin did not return Channel 4's calls on Tuesday.

"It's unfortunate, and it's terrible because it's somebody who's in a position who should have known better," said Sgt. Jason Williams of the Shelbyville Police Department

Channel 4 asked the officer who made the arrest if this was embarrassing for the city.

"I'd be lying if said no," said Williams.

Hardin was arrested on Monday and released on $3,000 bond. He is due in court April 8.

Hardin's job with the county is to issue warrants in criminal cases.

Williams said the two did not consummate the act

Former Coroner's Investigator Pleads Guilty In Prostitution Sting

POSTED: 11:25 am EDT September 16, 2008
UPDATED: 3:17 pm EDT September 16, 2008

A former Jefferson County coroner's investigator arrested in a Steubenville prostitution sting must pay more than $400 in fines.

Minutes before David Workman was set for trial on a soliciting prostitution charge, he changed his plea from not guilty to guilty. Workman went on the record in Steubenville Municipal Court Tuesday, signing his name to the plea deal.

Steubenville police said Workman solicited prostitution from an undercover officer.

This is not the last time Workman will face a judge. Workman faces other charges in both Ohio and West Virginia.

Workman is accused of stealing a credit card from the Jefferson County morgue and charging hundreds at a Weirton, W.Va., strip club in Joseph Verstraten's name.

Workman's attorney, Steve Stickles, said he'll be ready to defend him on the theft in office charge next month.

"At this time myself and the state of Ohio are working together on possible plea negotiations. We'll see where that case ends up," said Stickles.

Workman's trial on the theft in office charge is set for Oct. 28 in Jefferson County.

A court date has not been set yet in Hancock County, W.Va.

Stay with NEWS9 and WTOV9.com for continuing coverage.

Published Thursday
February 5, 2009
Fire captain loses a post after prostitution sting

Omaha Fire Capt. Darren Bates has been removed from his position as a district field service representative for the International Association of Firefighters.

Omaha Fire Capt. Darren Bates was cited Tuesday in Council Bluffs on suspicion of soliciting prostitution. That citation was listed as reason for his removal in a Thursday letter written by association president Harold Schaitberger.

A copy of the letter was given to The World-Herald.

Bates, who also serves as president of the Omaha firefighters union, was placed on a paid suspension by the City of Omaha pending an internal investigation.

Schaitberger said his group will continue to monitor Bates' situation "very closely."

- Kevin Cole