More than a dozen active duty U.S. soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, were arrested during an undercover 16-hour prostitution sting.
The Bell County Sheriff’s Department Special Crimes Unit and the McLennan County Sheriff’s Department took part in the sting in two Texas towns near Austin.
“I tasked the Special Crimes Unit with proactive law enforcement against human sex trafficking, which is a problem in Bell County,” Sheriff Eddy Lange said at a news conference earlier this week. “The sting was held in conjunction with the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office.”
Undercover officers placed online ads for sexual services in exchange for money.
When the people responded to the ads, they would text one another and agree to a location, time and price.
The price for the services ranged from $60 to $200, depending on what services were agreed upon, the Bell County Sheriff’s Department said.
An undercover female officer would meet with the men at the doors of the rooms where they were meant to exchange services, but once they were inside the room, they were arrested by police officers in the room.
Of the 20 people arrested in the sting, 13 of them were Fort Hood soldiers with ranks ranging from private to major.
Two of the people arrested could face felony charges for soliciting sex with a minor.
The Fort Hood soldiers arrested in sting are:
- Sgt. Carlos Castillo, 1st Cavalry Division;
- Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ernest Grant, Warrior Transition Unit;
- Staff Sgt. Natalion Seymour, 2nd Chemical Battalion;
- Staff Sgt. Kendrick Davis, 57th Signal Battalion;
- Master Sgt. Stanley Ervin, 13th Expeditionary Sustainment Command;
- Pvt. Xavier Horne, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment;
- Warrant Officer 1 Gregory Hughes, 1st Combat Service Support Battalion;
- Maj. Donta White, 89th Military Police Brigade;
- Spc. Jimmie Joiner, 3rd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment;
- Pfc. Adrian Upshawn, 3rd Cavalry Regiment;
- Sgt. Michael Culpepper, 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment;
- Joseph Bartolomei; and,
- Dontae Johnson.
