Details:
Using fake advertisements posted on an adult escort website, HCSO detectives were able to lure several individuals to a hotel located in the area of S Falkenburg Road and E Adamo Drive.
Once they arrived, each person came in contact with an undercover detective. The following people were arrested. Their charges are as follows:
1) Leslie Benitez DOB: 02/01/95 Offering to Commit Prostitution (2nd offense)
2) Lawrence Jones DOB: 08/07/85 Soliciting Another to Commit Prostitution
3) Xiaoru Kem DOB: 02/24/64 Unlicensed Massage Practice
4) Timothy McCausland DOB:09/20/50 Hillsborough County Ordinance Violation-36-340: Public Solicitation Event
5) Stacy Gonzalez DOB: 10/30/80 Offering to Commit Prostitution (Third or subsequent), Warrant: FTA Offering to Commit Prostitution
6) Stacia Wilson DOB: 04/14/81 Offering to Commit Prostitution, Possession of a Controlled Substance-Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Warrant: VOP Grand Theft Motor Vehicle and Burglary of an Unoccupied Dwelling
7) Ashraf Zakher DOB: 03/06/71 Soliciting Another to Commit Prostitution
8) Mathew Mamman DOB: 05/30/73 Soliciting Another to Commit Prostitution
Among the arrestees is Timoth McCausland, who is employed as a City Attorney for the City of Lakeland.
“The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office holds all residents and visitors to the same standards. If you break the law in our county, no matter who you are, you will be arrested,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Operations like this help us to not only seek out possible victims of human trafficking, but also find and take criminals off the streets who are hiding in plain sight. In this instance, we were also able to locate a suspect in a grand theft auto and burglary case.”