19 charged in Alamance County prostitution sting

Sheriff Terry Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday that Operation Happy New Year was a two-day undercover sting operation that took place Jan. 28 and 29.

The Randolph County’s Sheriff’s Office, State Bureau of Investigation and Graham and Mebane police assisted with the operation.

“An operation like this is manpower intensive, and without the cooperation of the SBI, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Mebane Police Department and also Graham Police Department, these operations could not be successfully implemented,” Johnson said.

This is the first prostitution operation of the year, but Johnson referenced the three similar operations from 2019. In those three operations, from February, August and September 2019, 52 individuals were arrested.

“Our county, state and nation must change our attitude toward prostitution and human trafficking,” Johnson said. “Prostitution and human trafficking go hand in hand. It is one of the most dangerous and degrading professions and crimes on our books. We are losing young people, middle-aged people, male and female, to this tragedy.”

The sheriff said he believed the prostitutes were at risk of being kidnapped into human trafficking without law enforcement intervention.

“Prostitution is not a victimless crime,” he emphasized. “We need to open up our eyes here in Alamance County, Randolph Country and the state of North Carolina. I want the public to know we will not tolerate these crimes, and we continue to pursue anyone involved in these crimes. If it means us doing 500 more operations like this, we’re going to do that.”

The operation targeted both prostitutes and Johns, but Johnson said investigators try to get the prostitutes to talk to deputies and connect them with help.

“All we can do is, certainly enforce our laws, but get these girls to go into whatever help we can get for them,” he said. “Right now we’re losing the war. ... We will do everything we can in this county.”

19 facing charges after prostitution sting

Arrested in Operation Happy New Year were:

• Juan Enrique Garcia Roque, 590 Steele St., Asheboro, charged with misdemeanor soliciting prostitution;

• Dana Gilmore, 4904 Steer Lane, Greensboro, charged with misdemeanor soliciting prostitution;

• Jose Luis Romero Conde, 910 Ellerbe St., Durham, charged with misdemeanor soliciting prostitution;

• Dung Quang Tran, 126 River Oaks St., Spring Lake, charged with misdemeanor soliciting prostitution;

• Michael Thomas Logan, 302 Willowbrook Court, Mebane, charged with misdemeanor soliciting prostitution;

•Banthao Chanthavong, 108 Lynthacum Lane, Troy, charged with misdemeanor soliciting prostitution, felony possession of a firearm by a felon, felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia;

• Robert Junior Henry, 200 Seven Oaks Road, Apt. 2H, Durham, charged with misdemeanor soliciting prostitution;

• Jim William Bookwalter, 1328 Elder Way, Burlington, charged with misdemeanor soliciting prostitution;

• Donovan Bennett Hughes, 1112 Holly St., Burlington, charged with misdemeanor prostitution and misdemeanor resist/delay/obstruct an investigation;

• Crystal Dawn Leide, 1144 Wyatt Road, Apt. B4, Burlington, charged with misdemeanor prostitution;

• Koury Jacquez Bynum, 323 Fitch Drive, Mebane, charged with misdemeanor aiding and abetting prostitution, felony fleeing to elude arrest, felony possession with the intent to sell or deliver cocaine, misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, felony possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana, misdemeanor possession of marijuana paraphernalia, reckless driving, driving with a license revoked, speeding, failure to stop at a stop sign and misdemeanor resisting a public officer and also had outstanding warrants for misdemeanor assault on a female from the Burlington Police Department;

• Brain Toney Hill, 2630 Trail Five, Burlington, charged with misdemeanor soliciting prostitution;

• Elizabeth Lynn Locklear, 230 Quail Ridge Road, Summerfield, charged with felony prostitution (second offense) and had an outstanding warrant for arrest for unlisted charges from Chatham County;

• Chevron Nashawn Powell, 108 Cotton Lane, Holly Springs, charged with felony promoting prostitution for profits;

• Heather Ann Tuttle, 4200 U.S. 29 N., Lot 477, Greensboro, charged with misdemeanor prostitution;

• Joseph Richard McDowell, 4820 Tower Road, Apt. D, Greensboro, charged with felony promoting prostitution for profits;

• Kim Elizabeth Mattox, 5515 W. Market St., Greensboro, charged with misdemeanor prostitution;

• Ternell Vaughn, 917 E. Dayton Ave., High Point, charged with felony promoting prostitution for profits; and

• Jessica Heather Willard, 732 Page Drive, Apt. B, Burlington, charged with misdemeanor prostitution.

This article originally appeared on Times-News: 19 charged in Alamance County prostitution sting