All articles tagged with #sting operation
The US president’s border czar was caught in a sting operation where an undercover detective, posing as a businessman, offered him a bribe to influence government funds, revealing potential corruption.
Tom Homan, a former Trump border official, accepted a $50,000 bribe in an FBI sting, promising government contracts in exchange. The Justice Department closed the investigation, citing lack of credible evidence and political motives, amid claims of a 'deep state' operation.
The FBI orchestrated the largest sting operation in history by secretly running an encrypted phone company called Anøm, which was used by criminals worldwide, including a Swedish drug kingpin known as "Microsoft." The operation led to the capture of numerous criminals and the disruption of major drug trafficking and assassination plots.
A mother and daughter in Texas were arrested in a sting operation for allegedly performing illegal butt injections without medical expertise, planning to charge $6,000 for the service. They were found with unlabeled injectables and medical equipment, and had allegedly provided a Xanax to relax a prospective customer. The pair were charged with practicing medicine without a license and have been released on bond with strict conditions. Illegal injections have previously resulted in deaths, leading to charges of murder and prison sentences.
More than 160 people, including EMTs, nurses, educators, retirees, and former law enforcement officers, have been arrested in Ohio's "Operation Buyer's Remorse," a human trafficking sting targeting individuals seeking to buy sex. The operation, conducted by the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, took place across the state and resulted in the seizure of electronic devices, criminal tools, and nearly $75,000. Charges range from first-degree misdemeanors to third-degree felonies, with some individuals also arrested for seeking sex with minors or promoting prostitution. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost emphasized the message: "Don't buy sex."
A former California Highway Patrol officer, Brian Pardue, has been found guilty by a Kern County jury of attempting to meet a minor for a sex act. Pardue was convicted of contacting a minor with the intent to commit a sex offense and arranging to meet a minor for a sex act. He now faces potential prison time and lifetime sex offender registration. Pardue's defense argued that he believed he was communicating with an adult, as the decoy account used in the sting operation was of an 18-year-old woman. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 2.
The superintendent of Itasca Independent School District in North Texas, Michael Stevens, has been suspended with pay after being charged with online solicitation of a minor. Stevens was arrested on June 1 after a sting operation and was accused of planning to drive to Houston to meet a 15-year-old girl for sex. The district's board of trustees has appointed Keith Boles as the interim superintendent. Stevens' bond was set at $100,000.
Michael Stevens, a Texas school superintendent, has been arrested for online solicitation of a minor after attempting to solicit sex from a 15-year-old girl in Houston. Stevens was caught in a months-long sting operation conducted by trained officers posing as teenagers. He is one of seven men caught during the operation. The Itasca School District has suspended Stevens and appointed an interim superintendent. The district has stated that there are no connections between the allegations made against Stevens and students at the school.
A school superintendent and six other men were caught in a sting operation by the Harris County Precinct One Constable’s Office in Texas, where they were looking for sex with teenagers. The superintendent, Michael Keith Stevens, allegedly sent lewd photos of himself to an undercover investigator, whom he believed to be a 15-year-old girl. The other defendants were caught possessing condoms upon arrest. The sting operation involved more than a dozen law enforcement agencies posing online as teenagers aged 13, 14, or 15.
Itasca Independent School District Superintendent Michael Stevens was arrested and charged with online solicitation of a minor after he planned to travel to Houston to meet a 15-year-old girl for sex. Stevens was one of seven men arrested in a sting operation conducted by law enforcement agencies in the Houston area. He sent pictures of his private parts and asked for nude videos and images in return, some of which appeared to have been taken in his office. Stevens also worked as a coach, principal, and assistant principal at other districts across the state.
Terry Jon Martin of Minnesota has been indicted on charges of stealing a pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005. The slippers were recovered in a sting operation in 2018. The indictment charged Martin with one count of theft of a major artwork. The slippers are estimated to have a market value of $3.5 million. Martin's connection to the museum is unclear, and it is unknown if he acted alone or was commissioned by a criminal syndicate.
Ten men, including a non-profit executive, were arrested in connection with a human trafficking sting operation in North Olmsted, Ohio. The Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force conducted the operation, which identified seven potential victims. The arrested individuals were provided resources from multiple agencies, including the Canopy Child Advocacy Center, Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, and the Harriett Tubman Movement.
A Tennessee National Air Guardsman, Josiah Ernesto Garcia, has been charged with using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of a murder-for-hire after allegedly submitting an employment inquiry to RentAHitman.com in February. Garcia was caught in a months-long sting operation after admitting in one phone interview that he was comfortable taking fingers and ears as trophies for his clients. He was asked to do a $5,000 job in April, and was ultimately arrested on April 12 after inquiring as to whether he “needed to take a photo [of the dead body] as proof that the job was complete,” the feds said.