A Wise County Sheriff’s Office operation dubbed “Operation Steel Cage” resulted in the arrest of 15 people for solicitation of prostitution and another three people for solicitation of a minor last week.
Those jailed lived as far away as El Paso and as close as Decatur, according to jail records.
ADRIAN THOMAS GONZALES
DAVID WAYNE WHEELER
The operation targeting people involved in prostitution and the online solicitation of minors took place last Thursday and Friday. The WCSO said the initiative “was part of an ongoing effort to combat these offenses and protect vulnerable members of the community,” according to a news release issued Monday.
“Last month I directed our Special Investigative Unit to set up operations to infiltrate and prevent prostitution and human trafficking — especially involving minors,” Sheriff Cary Mellema said in the news release. “They are brutal, exploitative systems that prey on people who are often desperate, vulnerable, or manipulated by force, fear, or deception.”
Two people were arrested on second degree felony charges of solicitation of prostitution of a minor under 18: Adrian Thomas Gonzales of El Paso and David Wayne Wheeler of Denton. Jail records show both have been released on $20,000 bond.
One person, Matthew David Bernardez of Fort Worth, was arrested for the third degree felony offense of online solicitation of a minor.
The following were all arrested for the state jail felony charge of solicitation of prostitution:
- William Eliott of Saginaw
- Elvin Escobar of Northlake
- Oliver Guardado of Mansfield
- Regi Matthews of Irving
- Michael Thomas of Poolville
- Carlos Miranda-Rodriguez of Weatherford
- Ivan Arvizo-Rosales of Dallas
- Philip Green of Corinth
- Michael Anderson of Denton
- Derrick Wuistinger of Decatur
- Alan Duarte of Blue Mound
- Markercross Virgile of Rhome
- Nathan Porter of Edmond, Okla.
- Neal Seidner of Flower Mound
- Keith Jones of Fort Worth
Investigators developed leads on other people suspects, the WCSO said, and those leads are now being pursued the Special Investigations Unit, meaning more arrests are possible.
“Let me be clear: our county will not tolerate the buying and selling of human lives,” Mellema said.
The WCSO has been working with local, state and federal agencies over the past few months to identify prostitution and trafficking networks and shutting down illegal operations, he added. Those agencies include the Texas Department of Public Safety, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Decatur Police Department, Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, Denton County Sheriff’s Office, Wise County Office of Emergency Management and Wise County Information Technology.
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