160 Arrests Made During Polk County Human Trafficking Sting

POLK COUNTY, FL — In a sting operation nicknamed "Fall Haul 2," 160 people were arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Vice Unit during a seven-day undercover human trafficking operation that began Aug. 30.

Among those arrested was a math teacher at New Dimensions High School in Osceola County. Carlos Gonzalez, 36, of Davenport was arrested on two counts of soliciting a prostitute after responding to an online escort advertisement and agreeing to have sex with two undercover detectives.

Also arrested were 25-year-old Shanice Blake and 29-year-old Kervens Felix, both from Orlando. According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, an undercover detective responded to an online escort service advertisement posted by Blake and Felix in which the couple offered to trade marijuana for sex.

When the couple arrived at the meeting place, Felix remained in the car with a 2-year-old child, while Blake entered the residence and attempted to sell one pound of marijuana to the undercover detective for $1,900.

Judd said 41-year-old Cameron Burke of Ocoee was arrested after arriving at the meeting place to have sex with a prostitute. Burke was out of jail on bond after being arrested for lewd and lascivious battery on a 15-year-old student at Oak Ridge High School in Orange County where he worked as a computer technician.

Lake County Correctional Officer, Keith Nieves, 24, of Orlando was arrested on two counts of soliciting a prostitute after responding to an online escort advertisement in which he agreed to have unprotected sex with two undercover detectives, Judd said.

Judd said a non-faculty coach at West Orange High School in Orange County, 26-year-old John Layton of Gotha, arrived wearing his school track and field jersey.

Guillermo Perez, 57, of Winter Garden was arrested after he responded to an online escort advertisement and agreed to pay $80 to have sex with an undercover detective. Perez is employed as a bellhop at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.

And a self-employed photographer often contracted by Disney, 26-year-old Samy Claude of Orlando, arrived at a meeting with an undercover detective with a gift of sour Skittles.

“The online prostitution industry enables traffickers and allows for the continued victimization of those who are being trafficked," Judd said during a news conference Friday. "Our goal is to identify victims, offer them help, and arrest those who are fueling the exploitation of human beings and those profiting from the exploitation of human beings. Prostitution is not a victimless crime. It results in exploitation, disease, dysfunction, drug and alcohol addiction, violence and broken families.”

Of those arrested:

• Twenty-six told detectives that they are married.
• Detectives charged those arrested with a total of 52 felonies and 216 misdemeanors.
• Criminal histories included 419 previous felonies and 619 previous misdemeanors. Some of the prior arrests included charges for kidnapping, robbery, aggravated battery and sex offenses.
• Fifteen of the arrested were from other states (Georgia, Michigan, New York, California, Mississippi, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Arizona) and one was from Puerto Rico.
• Sixteen live in Polk County.
• Twelve told detectives they receive government assistance.
• Detectives seized cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy) and marijuana.
• Seven of the arrested are suspected of being in the country illegally.
• The oldest person arrested was 64 years old, while the youngest is 19 years old.

Two trafficking victims and another five possible victims were identified.