WILLIAM O. BILL FARMER, JR. SUMTER COUNTY Office: (352)

Transcription

1 Sheriff WILLIAM O. BILL FARMER, JR. SUMTER COUNTY Office: (352) MEMBER, FLORIDA SHERIFFS ASSOCIATION Fax: (352) NORTH MAIN STREET BUSHNELL, FLORIDA Press Release The Sumter County Sheriff s Office announces Project STARCOP 2, a proactive, covert operation targeting individuals using the Internet for the purpose of sexually exploiting children. Sumter County sheriff s detectives partnered with detectives from Citrus, Lake, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, and Polk County Sheriff s Office, Central Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement during the week long operation. Sheriff s detectives posed as adults, guardians of minors and minors on the Internet communicating with individuals who traveled to Bushnell to engage in sexual activities with a minor. Detectives occupied a Bushnell residence during the week long operation that had been equipped with computers and audio and video recording equipment. After communicating with suspects and establishing probable cause that the suspects intended to engage in sexual activities with minors, detectives provided suspects with the address of the Bushnell residence or agreed to meet suspects at a predetermined secondary location. When suspects arrived at either location, they were arrested by Sumter County sheriff s deputies. In all, 23 suspects were arrested. During the week long operation, detectives logged more than 400 hours on the Internet that culminated with the arrest of the 23 suspects, the seizure of 12 vehicles, the execution of two search warrants, and other various electronic devices. This is the second installment of Project STARCOP. The inaugural operation was conducted in March 2011 in Wildwood. In that similarly typed operation, twenty-two suspects were arrested after traveling to a Wildwood residence to engage in sexual activities with a minor. Most of those cases have since been disposed of through the Sumter County court system. All defendants have either been found guilty at trial or pled guilty and sentenced through plea agreements. Sentences have ranged from one year in jail to ten years in prison. Those arrested are identified in the attached pages. An Accredited Agency

2 Name: David Carrasco Age: 25 Residence: Kissimmee, Florida Arrest Date: 02/20/2012 Arrest Time: 7:28pm Charges: Use of the Internet to Solicit the Guardian of a Child for Sex Possession of Marijuana Less Than 20 Grams Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Ground Tech (Landscape) $76,000 Name: Jose Almagro Taborda Age: 32 Residence: Haines City, Florida Arrest Date: 02/21/2012 Arrest Time: 7:44pm Charges: Use of the Internet to Solict the Custodian of a Child for Sex Security Systems Analyst Name: Christopher Duane Olson Age: 20 Residence: Green Cove Springs, Florida Arrest Date: 02/22/2012 Arrest Time: 1:43am Charges: Use of the Internet to Solict a Parent of a Child for Sex Laborer

3 Name: Gary A. Thurber Age: 53 Residence: Prescott, Wisconsin Arrest Date: 02/22/2012 Arrest Time: 7:43pm Charges: Use of the Internet to Solict a Parent of a Child for Sex Xray Technician Name: Richard M. Arzivian Age: 27 Residence: Deltona, Florida Arrest Date: 02/22/2012 Arrest Time: 6:31pm Team Leader (Fast Food Chain) Name: Robert H. Walton Age: 23 Residence: Port Richey, Florida Arrest Date: 02/22/2012 Arrest Time: 10:34pm Cook (Fast Food Chain)

4 Name: Lance J. Pollack Age: 41 Residence: St. Petersburg, Florida Arrest Time: 12:38am Server (Restaurant) Name: John T. Bell Age: 54 Residence: Mayo, Florida 02/24/2012 Arrest Date: Arrest Time: Charges: 12:53pm Use of the Internet to Solict a Parent of a Child for Sex Not Listed Name: Jeffrey L. Long Age: 46 Residence: Wesley Chapel, Florida Arrest Time: 6:49pm Violation of Probation; Aggravated Stalking (Pasco County) Pressure Washer (Self Employed) None

5 Name: Roderick B. Green Age: 21 Residence: Orlando, Florida Arrest Time: 8:23pm Universal Studios Name: Newman A. Crunk III Age: 34 Residence: Land O Lakes, Florida Arrest Time: 9:16pm Laborer $45,000 Name: John R. Lamb Age: 68 Residence: Roxboro, North Carolina Arrest Time: 11:07pm Truck Driver $45,000

6 Name: David F. Honaker Age: 24 Residence: Ocala, Florida Arrest Time: 00:56am Not Listed $45,000 Name: Luis A. Rodriquez Age: 20 Residence: Jacksonville, Florida Arrest Time: 1:21am Resisting Officer without Violence US Army $45,500 Name: Ryan M. Hewes Age: 26 Residence: Kissimmee, Florida Arrest Time: 1:22pm Warehouse Worker $45,000

7 Name: Russell N. Cowles Age: 33 Residence: Lakeland, Florida Arrest Time: 5:08pm Self Employed $45,000 Name: Raymond L. Thompson Age: 54 Residence: Spring Hill, Florida Arrest Time: 6:59pm Monitor Tech (Healthcare Industry) $45,000 Name: Steven L. Brooks Age: 43 Residence: Land O Lakes, Florida Arrest Time: 8:14pm Disabled $45,000

8 Name: Gary Butcher Age: 22 Residence: Haines City, Florida Arrest Time: 8:20pm Transmittal of Harmful Material to a Minor Unemployed $55,000 Name: Harry J. Shrager Age: 22 Residence: Tavares, Florida Arrest Time: 9:36pm Cook / Dishwasher $45,000 Name: Gabriel A. Roman Age: 19 Residence: Winter Park, Florida Arrest Date: 02/26/2012 Arrest Time: 1:44pm Student

9 Name: Franscisco M. Gomez Age: 35 Residence: Ocala, Florida Arrest Date: 02/26/2012 Arrest Time: 9:19pm Stockperson Name: John C. Cruzado Age: 23 Residence: Port Richey, Florida Arrest Date: 02/26/2012 Arrest Time: 11:39pm Customer Service Representative