62 arrested in Midland and Odessa in "Operation Gauntlet"
A major operation in the Permian Basin has landed a total of 62 people behind bars.
Titled "Operation Gauntlet", the operation lasted a total of 15 days and saw 55 arrests in Odessa and seven in Midland.
According to the Odessa Police Department, Operation Gauntlet had a total of three phases.
Undercover 'chatters' shared ads on online classified websites and sent texts and made phone calls posing as 13-year-old girls from February 16-17.
The chatters received and responded to a total of 6,095 messages from 330 phone numbers.
Seven suspects were then arrested for online solicitation of a minor under the age of 14, a 2nd Degree Felony:
- Sebastian Zapata, 22
- Eduardo Galvan, 25
- Randall Sparkman , 40 (Registered Sex Offender)
- Alex Olivas, 38
- Seth Patin, 30
- David Williams, 43
- Wesley Nickell, 57
Two suspects were arrested for sexual performance of a minor under the age of 14, a 1st Degree Felony:
- Osvaldo SiFuentes, 46
- James Lambert, 23
Two suspects were arrested for displaying harmful material to a minor, a Class A Misdemeanor:
- Juan Raigoza, 24
- Russell Scott, 34
Undercover chatters shared ads on online classified websites and sent texts and made phone calls posing as 16-year-old and 19-year-old girls from February 21-24.
These chatters responded to a total of 5,200 messages from 756 phone numbers.
26 suspects were arrested for prostitution, a Class B Misdemeanor:
- Robert Loysoya, 59
- Johnny Bryant, 31
- Cody Pendergrass, 31
- Jonathon Kirkman, 46
- German Ortega-Ortega, 30
- Omar Reyna, 43
- Eduardo Ibanez, 31
- Sterling Fincher, 26
- Nikolos Robinson, 37
- Raefael Hernandez, 43
- Stephan Punch, 51
- Ariel Portillo, 25
- Fabian Hernandez, 34
- Aram Barrios-Hernandez, 42
- Oludayo Olanyinka, 37
- Jared Cunnigham, 34
- Bill Oneal, 45
- Jason Page, 44
- Daniel Okunola, 39
- Brandon Moore, 31
- Aaron Mata, 26
- Raymundo Gonzalez, 43
- Luis Casas Jr., 25
- Timothy Hicks, 44
- Kurtis Shaw, 18
- Stanley Daniel, 21
Five suspects were arrested for prostitution soliciting a person under the age of 18, a 2nd Degree Felony:
- Alfredo Garcia, 25
- Eric Gesch, 43
- Christian Love, 21
- Alex Brito, 27
- Peyton Coffman, 24
Undercover chatters shared ads on online classified websites and sent texts and made phone calls posing as 16-year-old girls from February 28-March 3.
These chatters responded to a total of 1,034 messages from 275 phone numbers.
Undercover officers also posed as human trafficking victims on the street in an attempt to be solicited for prostitution for money. Other undercover officers posed as buyers in an effort to rescue human trafficking victims.
Finally, special agents and officers conducted a search warrant at Lucky Spa, a massage parlor, after an undercover agent was solicited for sex.
15 suspects were arrested for prostitution, a Class B Misdemeanor:
- Patricia Chapman, 46
- Ashley Hernandez, 24
- Kami Martinez, 19
- Alexus Phillips, 22
- Kalleigh Tyler, 25
- Dwight Thomas, 28
- Keith Davidson, 48
- Hamza Kechah, 38
- Ahlieya Caudillo, 19
- Adrianna Alcorta, 22
- Jasmine Miles, 18
- Tashonda Caraway, 22
- Tiara Runels, 24
- Desirey Carrizales, 22
- Young Yu, 49
One suspect was arrested for prostitution - enhanced one previous conviction, a Class A Misdemeanor:
- Rachel Tate, 31
One suspect was arrested for prostitution - enhanced more than three convictions, a State Jail Felony:
- Ding Bing, 52
One suspect was arrested for prostitution solicitation of a person under the age of 18, a 2nd Degree Felony:
- Lloyd David, 28
One suspect was arrested for aggravated promotion of prostitution, a 2nd Degree Felony:
- Lee Hunsun, 67
Operation Gauntlet was performed together by the following agencies:
The Odessa Police Department, the Midland Police Department, Texas DPS, the Midland County Sheriff's Office, the Midland Fire Department, the Andrews Police Department, the Abilene Police Department, the FBI, the U.S. Marshal's Service, the Texas Department of of Family and Protective Services, and the Midland County District Attorney's Office.
You can find several arrest affidavits for the operation below. *CAUTION* Some of the details in the affidavits may be graphic to some.
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