Carson City Sheriff’s Office
Friday, August 20, 2021
Seven people have been arrested in a two-day sting led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, according to a news release from the Carson City Sheriff’s Office.
This operation jointly planned and conducted by the FBI, Carson City Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement Team (SET), and Reno Police Department’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit, sought to identify and arrest people seeking to pay minors for sexual acts.
This FBI-funded operation arrested four men on Wednesday, Aug. 18, and arrested three men on Thursday, Aug. 19.
Throughout the operation, undercover detectives placed ads on websites commonly sought out by suspects seeking illegal sex acts. The men solicited and/or brokered deals and arrived at a location in Carson City to knowingly engage in and pay for sex acts with a minor. Most suspects were arrested on felony counts of soliciting a child for prostitution and attempted child abuse. Some suspects are facing additional or alternate charges.
The men arrested include:
• Rafael Sanchez-Pimental, 21
• Martin Ramos-Flores, 42
• Chiddo Luna, 46
• Jesse Burkhardt, 32
• Christopher Figueroa, 35
• Arturo Martinez-Pintor, 43
• Tyrone Schultz, 44
“I’m proud of and thankful to all the agencies that participated," Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong said in a news release. “Juvenile sex trafficking is a priority to the Carson City Sheriff’s Office and these stings will continue in an effort to reduce the demand that fuels the exploitation of children in our community.”
The FBI’s Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force routinely conducts operations of this type in conjunction with regional law enforcement agencies. The participating agencies in this two-day operation include: the Northern Nevada Regional Intelligence Center, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Nevada Gaming Control Board Enforcement, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Highway Patrol, Nevada Department of Parole and Probation, and Nevada Department of Corrections.