Eight Arrested During 'Reverse Prostitution' Sting

Eight men were arrested during a recent “reverse prostitution sting,” which used female police officers dressed in plainclothes to target those who offer money for sex.

Howard County police say seven men are facing charges of solicitation of prostitution: Michael Eddie Crew, 50, of Owings Mills; James Shannon Mahoney, 41, of Severn; Jose Antonio Malagon-Vega, 26, of Laurel; Bienvenu Koungue Mouafo, 49, of Potomac; Anthony Luis Padilla, 42, of Chesapeake; Ronald Shaw, 46, of Washington, D.C. (he is also facing charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia); and Owen Collin Wright, 35, of Laurel.

The eighth man, Taurus D. Wheeler, 31, of Upper Marlboro, is facing charges of human trafficking and making a false statement to a police officer, according to law enforcement officials. He is accused of attempting to hire a female officer to work for him as a prostitute and, later, giving police a fake name.

The sting took place on Friday, April 15, along Route 1 in Laurel in areas chosen following citizen complaints, police said. Howard County police conducted six such stings last year and arrested 76 people.