19 MEN CONVICTED OF LOITERING, SOLICITING, ENGAGING, AND/OR AGREEING TO ENGAGE IN PROSTITUTION

19 MEN CONVICTED OF LOITERING, SOLICITING, ENGAGING, AND/OR AGREEING TO ENGAGE IN PROSTITUTION

SANTA ANA – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) convicted 19 men of loitering, soliciting, engaging, and/or agreeing to engage in prostitution. The men were convicted in March 2014. The defendants in these cases approached a woman, whom they believed to be a prostitute, in areas known for prostitution and human trafficking in Orange County. They agreed to engage in commercial sex, engaged in prostitution, loitered with intent to commit prostitution, and/or solicited another to engage in prostitution with a woman or an undercover officer and were subsequently arrested by law enforcement.

The Buena Park Police Department, Garden Grove Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and Santa Ana Police Department investigated these cases. Deputy District Attorney Michael Bardeen of the HEAT Unit prosecuted these cases.

The defendants below each pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count each of agreeing to engage in prostitution, loitering with the intent to commit prostitution, and/or soliciting another to engage in prostitution. The defendants were each sentenced up to three years informal probation, up to 20 days in jail with the possibility of CalTrans in lieu of jail, and must submit to DNA testing. Some of the defendants were also required to donate up to $500 to the Victim Witness Emergency Fund.

·      Min Young Cho, 36, Los Angeles

·      Freddy Meneses-Dantorie, 39, Anaheim

·      Alejandro Elisea, 20, Buena Park

·      Ray Garcia Essex, 43, Buena Park

·      Garren Thomas Falagrady, 24, Aliso Viejo