CRIME
Florida Sheriff Announces 228 Arrests In ‘Operation March Sadness’ Prostitution Sting
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Florida authorities on Tuesday announced 228 suspects had been arrested during an eight-day multiagency prostitution and human trafficking sting dubbed Operation March Sadness.
The sheriff’s office said 150 suspects were arrested for allegedly soliciting a prostitute. Another 12 suspects were arrested, eight of whom were allegedly deriving proceeds from prostitution or transporting prostitutes to the undercover location. Sixty-six alleged prostitutes were arrested. Among the alleged prostitutes, 13 were identified as possible human trafficking victims.
The suspects were charged with a total of 70 felonies and 288 misdemeanors. In total, their criminal histories included 879 felonies and 1,150 misdemeanors.
This is a new record number of arrests during an investigation of this kind. More importantly, we identified 13 human trafficking victims; during two previous similar operations in February and October 2023, we identified 24 and 21 victims, respectively. Thats 58 victims we were able to identify in one year, Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement.
The valuable relationships that we have with the social services organizations who join us in these operations make it possible for these women to get help and be emancipated from this way of life, Judd said.
The suspects range in age from 16 to 73 years old.
The sheriff’s office said 21 of those arrested were in the U.S. illegally, and came from Chile, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. Eighteen suspects had traveled from out of state. They came from Alabama, California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Puerto Rico.
Forty-four of the suspects allegedly brought illegal drugs to the location, and detectives seized fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, MDMA, hydrocodone, Xanax, methamphetamine, and cannabis. Fifteen suspects brought firearms to the location, and 17 firearms were seized.
Among those arrested were members of the U.S. military and teachers, Judd said at a press conference Tuesday. One was a volleyball coach from New York who also tutored middle school students.
One of the suspects told detectives he was a math and science teacher at New Beginnings High School in Auburndale.
“He came to have sex. He called it a quick visit for $60,” Judd said. “Well, since hes able to teach math, he can figure out that it didnt add up this time.”
A U.S. Air Force staff sergeant, an airman, and a 19-year-old set to begin Air Force training in May were also arrested, Judd said.
One of the suspects was a former detention deputy with the Polk County Sheriffs Office.
“Dude, what are you doing?” Judd said. “You went from being a stellar employee to committing moral crimes, and its two in a month. He said, I got a problem. No kidding. Youve got a big problem.”
Two teenage brothers were arrested when they allegedly came to the undercover location armed with a BB gun and began creeping around as if they were going to commit an armed robbery of the undercover detective who was posing as a prostitute whom they solicited online.
During these types of undercover investigations, I can truly say that we have ‘seen it all’ and yet we are still surprised by some of the violent acts we encounter. These two teenagers were incredibly lucky that they did not brandish a firearm while stalking who they thought was a prostitute, at a location filled with law enforcement officers. This could have ended very badly for them, Judd said.
TMX contributed to this article.
