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Five men arrested in Woonsocket ‘john’ sting |
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Friday, 01 August 2008 |
WOONSOCKET — An undercover sting operation conducted by police in the Arnold Street/North Main Street area Wednesday night resulted in the arrests of five prospective prostitution customers, according to police.
The “john” sweep involved the assistance of a Central Falls policewoman as a prostitute decoy. It was conducted in an area known to be frequented by prostitutes and their customers, according to Police Lt. Eugene Jalette, a participant in the operation.
“We just saw that there was a problem out there and continued our efforts to deter ‘johns’ from soliciting prostitutes and also to deter prostitutes from working there,” he said.
The operation put the Central Falls police officer in street clothes with several police units set to move in when an incident occurred.
The alleged johns were all charged with soliciting for indecent purposes, a misdemeanor, and arraigned the following day in District Court, Providence. All were subsequently released pending disposition of their cases, police said.
Richard M. Fernandez, 19, of 122 North Main St., was arrested at 8:29 p.m. Wednesday after he allegedly solicited the police officer as she walked on Arnold Street, police said.
Fernandez is alleged to have passed by the officer several times before pulling over to talk with her.
The undercover officer asked the subject if he wanted to “party.” Fernandez is alleged to have responded that he wanted sex for $25. The posted units moved in and took the suspect into custody without incident, police said.
In another arrest made a short time later, Joseph R. Phillips, 28, of 127 Division St., drove past the undercover officer five times as she worked the Arnold and Blackstone Street area, police said. Phillips is alleged to have yelled obscenities to the police officer as he passed, asking her repeatedly to show him her breasts, police said.
At one point, Phillips is alleged to have asked the officer, “How do I know you’re not a cop if you don’t show me your (breasts)?” He is also alleged to have told the officer he needed to know “if you are worth the money.”
The police officer refused his alleged requests. Police say Phillips slapped the officer’s buttocks before driving off — but he returned once again, this time telling the officer he wanted to have sex with her while describing the sex act he desired, police said.
Police moved in to arrest Phillips, who was charged with misdemeanor sexual assault and battery on the policewoman and soliciting for indecent purposes, police said.
Thomas P. Green, 32, of 518 Willow St., was arrested at 8:56 p.m. after he approached the decoy prostitute while riding a bicycle in the Arnold Street area and engaged her in conversation, police said.
Green told the officer he wanted to exchange sex with her for drugs, police said. The suspect said he was going to go get a bag of drugs and a crack pipe and was arrested as he left the scene, police said.
Talubeh Ngie, 36, of 166 Grove St., was charged with loitering for indecent purposes after he allegedly walked up to the policewoman near 57 North Main St. and told her he wanted to have sex for money.
The waiting police units moved in and took Ngie into custody without incident, according to police.
David P. Lavimodiere, 58, of Troy, Maine, was charged with soliciting for indecent purposes after he drove past the police officer five times on North Main near Daniels Street in a green Volkswagen Beetle. The suspect eventually pulled over and engaged the policewoman in conversation, police said. He asked the officer how much money she wanted for sex, police said, and was told to pull into a nearby parking lot where he was taken into custody. |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 08 August 2008 )
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