Paterson police arrest 44 people in anti-prostitution operation
By Jonathan Greene
Published: August 14, 2019
The police conducted a fresh anti-prostitution operation in the vicinity of Van Houten and East 18th streets, a corridor frequented by prostitutes and johns at all hours of the day and night, on Tuesday.
Police arrested 44 people in the operation. 12 were alleged prostitutes and 25 alleged johns, police said. 1 was arrested on drug charges and 6 others for aggravated assault on a police officer, obstruction of a governmental function, and drug charges.
Area residents complained about prostitutes loitering in the area openly soliciting people for sex acts in exchange for money at all hours prompting the latest crackdown. Police conducted the crackdown in two phases. First undercover detectives posed as johns and were solicited by women and second undercover police officers posed as prostitutes to be solicited for sex in exchange for money.
Police seized 4 baggies of marijuana and 12 glassine envelopes of heroin in the operation.
Police arrested the following women for soliciting undercover officers: Roxanne Gillette, 33, of Absecon; Samantha Baratta, 28, of Mastic, NY; Bernadette Kruse, 55, of Elmwood Park; Briana Mattson, 25, of Montville; Dana Bellamy, 40, of Paterson; Marleny Mercedes-Perez, 33, of Paterson; Ashley Fenske, 34, of Vineland; Leslie Thompson, 40, of Paterson; Briana Ramirez, 29, of New Milford; Kristie Degroate, 40, of Mahwah; Cherise Clanton, 48, of Paterson; and Rhonda Mays, 41, of Paterson.
Alleged johns arrested were: Anthony Mateo, 19, of Paterson; David Brown, 45, of Passaic City; Jerry Rodriguez, 49, of Nutley; Regnald Hopkins, 41, of Paterson; Christopher Beauchamp, 32, of Paterson; Andre Haughton, 33, of Paterson; Joseph Auad, 78, of Paramus; Taneq Alhalbani, 53, of Paterson; Christian Bravo, 27, of Prospect Park; Nazjamar Jackson, 20, of Paterson; Henry Cortes, 50, of Hewitt; Edward Brown, 60, of Cresskill; Maurice English, 45, of Paterson; Charles Clay, 43, of Paterson; Chanel Simon, 22, of Passaic City; Vance Mixon, 31, of Paterson; Gary Ueras, 20, of Paterson; Oniel Vassell, 44, of Paterson; Daniel Andre, 59, of Paterson; Downiel Sanchez-Reyes, 22, of Paterson; Yahia Saidi, 21, of Paterson; Craig Temes, 50, of Hasbrouck Heights; Asim Chowdry, 30, Nutley; Christopher Williams, 55, of Paterson; and Rzouk Kattoura, 37, of North Bergen.
Each has been charged with prostitution, police said. Additionally, Kruse was charged with possession of four packets of heroin. Cortes was charged with resisting arrest.
Others arrested in the operation were: Oscar Revilla, 34, of Paterson; Jimmy Williams, 63, of Paterson; Jahkeith Sermond, 55, of Paterson; Lyndell McCoy, 38, of Paterson; Jamar Bell, 30, of Paterson; Kenneth Mejia, 36, of Clifton; and Oscar Revilla, 35, of Paterson.
Revilla allegedly had 8 glassine envelopes of heroin and 4 baggies of marijuana. He was charged with drug offenses.
Williams, Sermond, McCoy, and Bell were each charged with obstruction.
Mejia and Revilla were each charged with aggravated assault on a police officer and obstruction.
“Prostitution has no place in Paterson and our police department proved it last night,” public safety director Jerry Speziale said.