CHATTANOOGA – A two-day undercover operation by special agents with the TBI Human Trafficking Unit, Chattanooga Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and Tennessee Human Trafficking Task Force has resulted in the arrest of 11 men accused of seeking illicit sex from minors, and one woman charged with promoting prostitution.

Over a two-day period beginning November 10th, as part of an undercover investigation aimed at addressing human trafficking in the East Tennessee area, undercover officers placed several decoy advertisements on websites known to be linked to prostitution and commercial sex. The focus of the operation was to identify individuals seeking to engage in commercial sex acts with minors. As a result of the operation, agents and detectives arrested 11 men and one female, and booked them into the Hamilton County Jail:

*Timothy E. Berger (DOB 08/04/1980), Ooltewah: One count Solicitation of a Minor, one count Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act.

*Mike Yang Chen (DOB 05/10/1969), Rossville, GA: One count Solicitation of a Minor, one count Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act.

*George Michael McCaw (DOB 11/25/1967), Clarksville, GA: One count Solicitation of a Minor, one count Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act.

*John Dilorenzo (DOB 10/16/1987), Soddy-Daisy: One count Solicitation of a Minor, one count Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act, one count Simple Possession of Schedule VI.

*Johnathan Brent Grizzard (DOB 12/10/1981), Harrison: One count Solicitation of a Minor, one count Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act.

*Tomas Juarez Eulalio Gumercindo (DOB 04/17/1990), Chicago, IL: One count Solicitation of a Minor, one count Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act, one count Resisting Stop, Arrest.

*Vy T. Ton (DOB 10/10/1987), Hixson: One count Solicitation of a Minor, one count Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act.

*Carey Lamar Williams (DOB 03/07/1990), Hixson: One count Solicitation of a Minor, one count Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act, one count Possession Schedule VI for Resale, one count Driving on Suspended DL.

*Contreras Gaspar Ramirez (DOB 03/03/1973), Cartersville, GA: One count Solicitation of a Minor, one count Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act.

*James M. Walters (DOB 04/14/1956), Hixson: One count Solicitation of a Minor, one count Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act.

*Jason A. Pastor (DOB 01/25/1996), Cookeville: One count Solicitation of a Minor, one count Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act.

*Shemetra Keyanta McKinney (DOB 12/04/1996), Chattanooga: One count Promotion of Prostitution, one count Simple Possession of Schedule VI.

Part of the operation also focused on identifying potential victims of trafficking. One adult woman accepted services offered by Willowbend Farms, a non-profit program that works with survivors of human trafficking, and was on site during the operation. The Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking also offered assistance.

Booking photos of the individuals charged are available on the TBI Newsroom blog at www.tbinewsroom.com.

Information about human trafficking and TBI’s efforts to address this type of crime can be found online at www.ITHasToStop.com.