Crime & Safety
13 Arrested in Prostitution Sting: Howard County Police
Undercover officers posing as prostitutes arranged fake 'dates' with men, who now face charges, police said.
The Howard County Police Department reports it has charged more than a dozen men with soliciting prostitution and related charges as the result of a “reverse prostitution” operation.
The department posted an ad on a website known for facilitating prostitution, and undercover officers took calls from people interested in meeting them for the purpose of paying for sex, police said.
After the men arrived at a hotel in the 8100 block of Washington Boulevard in Jessup and it was established that they intended to exchange money for sex, they were charged.
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The following were charged in the operation, Howard County police say:
- Vinit Erun Patil, 26, Columbia
- Wendell Eric Lockhart, 55, Sykesville
- Oscar Romero, 33, Laurel
- Justo Portocarrero Gonzales, 50, Laurel
- Marvin Burton Cornish III, 26, Laurel
- Henry D. Sagastume, 32, Owings Mills
- Jose Cisneros Saiguero, 21, Laurel
- Gangida C. Gwanyama, 22, Laurel
- Mark Bryan Rix, 53, McLean, Va.
- Gautam Gupal Dravid, 43, Elkridge
- Juan A Hernandez, 43, Gaithersburg
- Jam-Pav James Wu, 44, Baltimore
- Robert L. Osborne, 36, Lanham
Find out what's happening in Columbiafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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