23 Arrested in Tri-County Prostitution Sting
The investigation involved five police organizations.
Twenty-three men were arrested in a tri-county undercover prostitution sting along Route 1 in the Jessup area involving federal, state and local police agencies, officials announced Wednesday.
The men were arrested last week in the vicinity of previous prostitution stings, according to Mary Phelan, a spokesperson for Howard County police.
The Thursday arrests come about two months after police arrested ten men in a July prostitution sting along Route 1 in Laurel, one of whom included a high-ranking Food and Drug Administration official. In May, police arrested eight men in another prostitution bust on Route 1.
Phelan said police conducted the sting after receiving neighborhood complaints.
Police organizations that participated in the sting included U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, Maryland State Police, Howard County Police, Anne Arundel County Police and Laurel City Police.
Fourteen men were arrested by Howard County police and charged with solicitation of a prostitute. Seven men were arrested by Anne Arundel police on charges of solicitation and two were arrested by Laurel City police.
Men arrested were from College Park, Columbia, Laurel, Rockville, Hyattsville, Jessup, Odenton, New Carrollton, Seat Pleasant, Silver Spring, Elysburg, PA, Marlin, PA, Alexandria, VA, Woodbridge, VA, Centerville, TN and Washington, DC, officials said.
“HSI special agents spearheaded this tri-county public safety initiative with the Maryland State Police and police departments of Howard, Anne Arundel and Laurel City,” said HSI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge William Winter in a statement.
Winter said the action was taken to further Homeland Security criminal investigations together with local and state law enforcement, according to the statement.
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M Howard County
8:00 am on Thursday, September 27, 2012
Cleaning up the Corridor is a good thing. But, really, Homeland Security? Pathetic johns trolling Route 1 are a threat to national security. This insidious agency is worming its way into every facet of our lives under the most absurd guises.
number9dream
8:29 am on Thursday, September 27, 2012
Is this truly a crime?
J. W. Huey
11:00 am on Thursday, September 27, 2012
I couldn`t agree more with "M Howard County". What the hell has prostitution got to do with homeland security? Are HSI investigators concerned one of these gals might blow up a "john" while, oh, never mind......
Colliemom
11:35 am on Thursday, September 27, 2012
You all are probably thinking of prostitution as a victimless crime; a hometown adult opting to make a little extra money using her talents. I don't think that's a problem worth pursing. But, truth is, these days it's often organized international rings/gangs who kidnap and import very young women, hold them in slavery and use their profits for guns/drugs. That's very different; I welcome HS's involvement along with whatever other groups can help. HS and INS are in because these are organized groups of illegal immigrants who work together to subvert out laws. The money from these organized prostitute rings goes into drugs/weapons/etc and results in other violent crimes in our community. Glad to see more aggressive arrests being made, can only help the quality of life in Laurel.
Marcus Aurelius
11:54 am on Thursday, September 27, 2012
Make it legal, like most other countries have, the secret service had a good time in Columbia I think it was, and under this administration it might be the only jobs left for a good amount of democratic women, now the question is do they get Obama care in this line of work?
Lisa Carrasco
12:59 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012
Follow the Nordic model where the buyers are arrested as well as the pimps and traffickers; while the victims (prostituted children, women, and men) are treated and given services to help them transform their lives. This has been the only successful model. Legalized prostitution only leads to further victimization and less accountability for the perpetrators and predators. This is not a victimless crime. All the players- victim, buyer and trafficker are all enslaved in one way or another. The buyer and trafficker may not realize their enslavement but it's either money or sexual desires that are never fulfilled but leave them wanting more and going deeper into their trap. There is only one satisfied in this predicament-satan! Do you see the truth?
John Everymann
5:08 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012
Kooky much? Some women become call girls to purse their dreams. One of my best friends paid her way through college working 2 days out the week as a call girl. She received a degree in business management. Then she worked as a call girl for 3 more years, And saved up a substantial amount of capital to start her business. Now she owns a string of Beauty salons, convenience stores, And dry cleaners. She currently nets 5 million a year. I asked her about her work as a escort. She never caught an std. She was never beat up. She doesn't regret a thing.
Elizabeth McDonnell Belli
8:24 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012
Your friend is very lucky and obviously very smart. Most prostitutes aren't anything like your friend.
Concerned Citizen of Laurel
9:30 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012
UNREAL. The BOYZ IN BLUE of HO CO have got to be the WORST POLICE FORCE out there! Cleaning up Route One is very simple and DOES NOT involve the police (women) posing as prostitutes! Get out of your cars and ARREST the TRUE prostitutes that work the area! Case Closed! Prostitutes & Johns GONE! But instead the county feels the need to WASTE TAX PAYERS $$$. I have witnessed both complaints and calls made to the HO CO police force about women and activity in the North Laurel area only to see an officer arrive on site, chat and leave with NO arrest! Maybe a look into this matter would solve the problem! As for Homeland Security, REALLY? Its a John, not a building thats being BLOWN up!!
alfonso cortes
6:10 pm on Saturday, September 29, 2012
Really!!!!
Homeland is there cause of illeales aliens, not johns, dumb @::;;;(())!'!