42 suspects arrested in Lake Worth police operation targeting solicitation of prostitution
The Lake Worth Police Department said it arrested 42 people within a two-day period in an operation targeting suspects seeking to solicit prostitution in Lake Worth.
On April 11-12, Lake Worth police and Homeland Security Investigations Dallas North Texas Trafficking Task Force launched a joint operation called “Operation April Fools.”
Undercover officers posed as escorts and were engaged by people online, according to police. When the undercover officers showed up at a meeting place agreed upon by both parties, the suspects were arrested, police said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Over the two days, 41 men and one woman were arrested. All face charges of solicitation of prostitution. If convicted, the suspects could face up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine.
The operation was the first of its kind to take place in Lake Worth, according to police.
“Although the operation was primarily focused on reducing the demand for trafficking individuals, other crimes were also uncovered over the two-day operation,” Lake Worth Police Chief J.T. Manoushagian said.
Three handguns, one assault rifle, over four pounds of drugs, about $15,000 in cash, and six fraudulent license plates were recovered in the arrests, according to police.
Several of the people arrested in the operation also had active felony warrants for other charges including aggravated sexual assault of a child, solicitation of a minor, aggravated assault on a police officer, and accident involving serious bodily injury.
Two of the suspects had violated their parole and two convicted murderers were among those arrested in the operation, police said.
None of the suspects were residents of Lake Worth, but were residents in other areas of North Texas. The majority of suspects were from Dallas and Tarrant counties, according to police.
“That’s important to note because it represents the unique policing challenges we face here in Lake Worth,” Manoushagian said. “More than a quarter million people pass through Lake Worth daily, and it’s our job at the Lake Worth Police Department to ensure that this is a safe environment where life and commerce thrive for both our community members and our visitors. With such a large volume of people passing through daily criminals are naturally among them.”
“The Lake Worth Police Department is dedicated to an all-crime approach that focuses on crime that is easily seen as well as the crime that lives in the shadows of society,” said Manoushagian.
The United States Secret Service, Texas Department of Public Safety, Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, Colleyville Police Department, and Richardson Police Department assisted in the operation.
