7 in Summerville among 13 arrested in human trafficking operation

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) - The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office announced 13 arrests Monday in a multi-day operation to combat human trafficking.

The operation was meant to address “the demand for commercial sex” in the Lowcountry and Pee Dee regions of South Carolina, Attorney General Alan Wilson’s office said.

“As the Chair of the State Human Trafficking Task Force, I cannot highlight enough the importance of law enforcement partnering to address the complexities of this crime,” Wilson said. “By stopping the demand for commercial sex, we want to discourage traffickers who hope to profit by supplying victims.”

State Law Enforcement Division spokesperson Renée Wunderlich released the identities of 12 of the 13 people arrested. One of the suspects was a 17-year-old whose name was not released because of his age.

Seven Summerville residents were arrested, according to SLED:

• Ronald Nelson Ford, 55, was charged with first-degree prostitution
• Oliver Abraham Paiz Arias, 27, was charged with first-degree prostitution
• John Joshua Jones, 47, was charged with first-degree prostitution
• Mario Demonte Maddox, 34, was charged with first-degree prostitution
• Darren Markos White, 30, was charged with first-degree prostitution
• Bruce Larnard Brisbane, 29, was charged with first-degree prostitution
• Felix Uz Puac, 22, was charged with first-degree prostitution

Each was booked into the Berkeley County Detention Center, Wunderlich said.

The Hardeeville Police Department arrested five additional people on charges:

• Kenneth Zentner, 59, of Beaufort, was charged with solicitation of prostitution. Authorities said one handgun was seized.
• Christopher Hamilton, 47, of Tillman, was charged with solicitation of prostitution, unlawful carry of a pistol, possession of a firearm by a convicted violent felon, and possession with the intent to distribute a Schedule II drug. Police seized one handgun from the suspect upon his arrest.
• Jelfriess Sevilla, 38, of Bluffton, was charged with solicitation of prostitution.
• Michael Jamison, 41, of Bluffton, was charged with solicitation of prostitution, unlawful carry of a pistol, distribution of cocaine, distribution of marijuana. Police seized one handgun during the arrest and one shotgun from his vehicle after his arrest.
• One 17-year-old juvenile from Bluffton was charged with solicitation of prostitution

They were all booked into the Jasper County Detention Center, Wunderlich said.

A Texas man was arrested by the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, she said.

• Juan Carlos Rodriguez, 59, of Van Vleck, Texas, was charged with solicitation of prostitution.

“SLED and our law enforcement partners continue to take a proactive approach to work crimes related to human trafficking,” Lt. Jade Roy with SLED’s Human Trafficking Unit said.

Wilson said the Charleston Police Department, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations also were involved in the operation.

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