Five Men Arrested for Promoting Prostitution Out of a Hobson Pike Home; Joint Local, State, Federal Investigation Continuing

Specialized Investigations Division detectives are charging five men who ran from a suspected brothel at 2334 Hobson Pike this morning with promoting prostitution, a felony. The five fled as law enforcement, including MNPD detectives, federal Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, TBI agents and FBI agents arrived at the property to carry out an HSI-led federal search warrant.

The search revealed that the upstairs area of the home had been converted into several small rooms that were used for purpose of prostitution. Seized were business cards and ledgers associated with the promotion of prostitution along with more than a pound of marijuana.

One of the five men arrested, Gianfranco Augusto Barazarte-Morales, 31, is also implicated in the September 17th non-critical shooting of two men at a suspected brothel at 6166 Mt. View Road as the result of an investigation by detectives from the Non-Lethal Shooting Unit. In addition to promoting prostitution, felony marijuana possession and evading arrest counts from today, Barazarte-Morales is being charged with two counts of aggravated assault, felony reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, and use of a gun in the commission of a dangerous felony for the September 17th case.

Also arrested today:

Felix Rafael Ortega, 27, who is being charged with promoting prostitution, evading arrest, felony marijuana possession, and felony possession of “Tusi”, a combination of cocaine, ecstasy, fentanyl and other drugs.

Elmer Humberto Aparicio-Castillo, 27, who is being charged with promoting prostitution, evading arrest, felony marijuana possession, and felony gun possession. Through the use of a specially trained ATF dog, a semi-automatic pistol was found in the brush where Aparicio-Castillo was arrested. He later said the gun was his.

Idenis Alexander Sanchez-Paredes, 22, who is being charged with promoting prostitution, felony marijuana possession, evading arrest, and criminal impersonation.

Wilfredo Jose Mata-Fornerino, 37, who is being charged with promoting prostitution, felony marijuana possession, and evading arrest.

Today’s law enforcement action is part of a large scale local, state and federal investigation that has been on-going for months and is very much continuing.