281 Arrested in Polk County's Largest Undercover Sting, the Sheriff's Office Says — Including Theme-Park Workers and an Orange County Deputy
The seven-day operation the sheriff's office called 'Polk Around and Find Out II' produced 488 charges, identified 11 human trafficking victims, and reached into Central Florida's biggest employers, according to the sheriff's office.
A seven-day undercover operation in Polk County ended with 281 arrests, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said — the largest undercover operation the agency says it has run. The sheriff's office said the suspects face 488 charges in total, 198 of them felonies and 290 misdemeanors, across an operation it named 'Polk Around and Find Out II.' Of the arrests, 239 were related to soliciting prostitutes, offering to commit prostitution, or aiding, abetting or transporting prostitutes, according to the release; 31 arrests were tied to alleged child sexual predators, and 11 arrests fell outside the two main groups. Every arrest is an accusation, and those arrested are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The Central Florida reach of the operation is what brings it to Orlando's door. The sheriff's office said 17 of the suspects told detectives they work at local theme parks or resorts, including Disney World and Universal Studios, and Sheriff Grady Judd said at his October 30 news conference in Winter Haven that 13 of the 17 worked for Disney and four for Universal, with seven of the 17 arrested as alleged child sex predators. An Orange County sheriff's deputy, Eric Raymond, was also among those arrested, on a solicitation allegation; the Orange County Sheriff's Office said he was relieved of all law enforcement duties and reassigned to administrative work pending the outcome of the criminal case.
Detectives said the prostitution side of the sting doubled as a trafficking screen: 122 people who travelled to commit prostitution were screened by detectives with victim-services partners to determine whether they were being trafficked or exploited, and 11 human trafficking victims were identified and offered services, according to the sheriff's office. Judd presented the results alongside Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, the 10th Judicial Circuit state attorney's office and federal immigration officials; the sheriff's office said its detectives were joined by investigators from Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Office of Statewide Prosecution, the Florida Department of Financial Services, and sheriff's offices including Osceola County's.
