A Disney employee, two teachers, and two law enforcement officers were among the 160 arrested in a recent seven-day human trafficking sting operation in Florida.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference Friday to discuss the operation in detail, which included those involved being charged with 52 felonies and 216 misdemeanors. Of those arrested, only 16 were residents of Polk County, while 15 were from out of state and the rest were from other counties in Florida. They were all between the ages of 19 and 64 when they were arrested in the operation titled “Fall Haul 2.”
“I think the people of Polk County are about to get the message that if you come here and violate the law, we’re going to put you in jail, and Brian Hoss and his prosecutors are going to prosecute you,” Sheriff Grady Judd said during the conference. “We’re pleased that it was only 16 of 160. Central Florida needs to catch a clue.”
OPERATION MARCH SADNESS: MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE ARRESTED IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING STING
A number of those taken into custody in the sting admitted to being victims of human trafficking. Judd read a text message off of one of the human trafficking victims’ phones that read: “Just promise me you’ll be careful. Get out of that place because that is Polk County. Get out of there fast.” By the time this anonymous victim received the text, she was already in police custody.
The victim was 10 weeks pregnant when she walked into the sting and admitted she was actively using fentanyl in an attempt to abort her baby because it was an unwanted pregnancy. This comes two months after a Florida judge blocked the state’s current abortion law, banning the procedure after 15 weeks of gestation. Florida has since appealed the ruling.
Two teachers, a 36-year-old math teacher named Carlos Gonzalez and a 26-year-old teacher and track coach John Layton, were among those arrested when they arrived at the operation allegedly to solicit sex from prostitutes. Samy Claude is a photographer contracted by Disney and was also arrested in the sting for solicitation. Lake County Correctional Institution had one of its corrections officers, Keith Nieves, arrested, while the Cartersville Police Department had its Deputy Chief of Police Jason DiPrima from Georgia arrested. DiPrima has since resigned from his position.
One of the prostitutes, 30-year-old Eriel Palmore, was previously arrested in a similar operation in March.
Judd made clear that anyone arrested who is revealed to be a victim of human trafficking will have their record expunged and even their mugshots deleted, according to Florida law.
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All 160 arrested comprised 419 previous felonies and 619 previous misdemeanors.
