Prostitution sting nets 16

RIDGEWAY – An undercover prostitution sting conducted by a tri-county task force that included the Fairfield County and Richland County Sheriffs’ Departments at the Ramada Inn in Ridgeway last Friday and Saturday night netted 16 arrests for prostitution and/or possession of drugs and/or possession with intent to distribute.

Using the Backpage website, undercover officers made contact with the individuals via phone who arranged sexual encounters and drug deals at the Ramada Inn located at Exit 34 off I-77 where the offenders were subsequently arrested.

Brad Edmond Howard, 38, and Melinda Medlin Leonard, 57, of Lexington; Amanda Elizabeth Jackson, 27; Ciara Shantae Palmer, 38, and George Stabler, 45, all of Columbia; Julio Cesar Morales, 33, and Shannon Franklin, 48, of West Columbia; Carlisha Shawashki, 31, of Cayce; and Nicholas Stack, 18, (address unknown), were each charged with prostitution and released on a $470 personal recognizance bond.

Tara Nicole Prince, 38, of Winnsboro was charged with prostitution and possession of two grams of heroin with intent to distribute. She remains in the Fairfield County Detention Center on a $5,000 bond for the heroin charge and a personal recognizance bond of $470 for the prostitution charge.

Two men, Damian Jujuan Swafford, 30, of Charleston and Paul Antonio Roberts, 34, of Lexington were identified in the incident report as drivers who were arrested for assisting in the solicitation process of two of the women charged.  Swafford and Roberts were each released on $470 personal recognizance bonds.

Tyrone Brenton Lane, 27, and Tyquan Torrez Matthews, 20, both of Columbia, were charged with possession of narcotics with intent to distribute. Each was released on a $5,000 bond.

Adrian Keiwan Hammond, 40, of Columbia was charged with possession of cocaine base and marijuana. Ashley Nicole Werts, 30, of Elgin was charged with possession of an oxycodone pill. Each was released on a $5,000 bond.