Kingsport Police Bust 12 For Prostitution And Indecent Exposure
(Top left to right) Althea Gumm, Laurie Edinger, Shelly Gregg, Tasha Tranbarger and Kathy Herceg
(Bottom Left to right) Joseph Jarber, Doug Cavitt, Robert Necessary, Brian O’Connor and Tony Fugate
News Channel 11
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By News Channel 11
Published: October 1, 2008
A press release from The Kingsport Police Department said the Vice Squad made 14 arrests. Investigators added they arrested some of the prostitution suspects multiple times.
A reverse sting by police, using an undercover female operative, led to the arrests of four men. The charge against them: soliciting prostitution.
During the most recent reverse sting, police said Brian O’Connor requested sexual favors from a female undercover operative. Investigators said upon making payment, an undercover male Vice Agent tried to remove O’Connor from his vehicle and arrest him. Police said O’Connor hit the gas and tried to get away from them. Investigators said the Vice Agent trying to arrest O’Connor was dragged by O’Connor’s vehicle and thrown into a parking lot.
During the four month operation, detectives also watched for activity at the public bathrooms on Netherland Inn Road. Police said they arrested Tony Fugate there and charged him with indecent exposure.
The following is a list of the suspects arrested during the four month investigation and the charges they face:
Althea Gumm / 2 counts prostitution
Laurie Edinger / prostitution
Shelly Gregg / prostitution
Tasha Tranbarger / 4 counts prostitution
Kathy Herceg / prostitution
Joseph Jarber / soliciting prostitution
Doug Cavitt / soliciting prostitution & possession of marijuana
Robert Necessary / soliciting prostitution
Brian O’Connor / soliciting prostitution, evading arrest, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment
Tony Fugate / indecent exposure
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( evaningstar ) on October 07, 2008 at 11:19 am
Do you really think these women are doing this to feed families? Come on, it is more likely than not they are doing it to feed a drug problem. Everyone is commenting on how they look..they look like druggies to me. Kudos to the Kingsport PD for doing this but to those that think the drug problems are solitary to Washington Co. Virginia, think again. Our region is ripe with prescription pain addiction and meth abuse, no city is spared, not even Kingsport. But when anyone can go to a dr. and get a script.
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Posted by ( City Boy ) on October 06, 2008 at 2:29 am
What the police around here need to do, is go to the big city police dept. and get training there so they can come back here and really clean up the area.
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Posted by ( captainkona ) on October 05, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Sorry, Cara. That excuse works in big cities like LA, Detriot, NYC….
Not tiny little Kingsport. Anyone can get a job washing dishes in an area where restaurants outnumber the hungry.
I think it’s valid to wonder who would pay money for something like that. True love is blind, true lust has 20/20 vision.
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Posted by ( rawbleedorange ) on October 04, 2008 at 9:29 pm
BULLSEYE,,,,,Capt. !!!!
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Posted by ( Teacher ) on October 02, 2008 at 8:50 am
There are many areas in the city of Kingsport that need to be cleaned up. Let’s do some cleaning before we spend millions on things that are not needed.
It’s sad when a person is afraid to go to certain areas and stop by a grocery store because they’re afraid of being mugged and robbed in broad open daylight. Isn’t this a black eye for Kingsport?
People will not patronize businesses in certain areas!!
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Posted by ( Tennesseestorm ) on October 01, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Oh my, how dreadful. News like this is quite disturbing and we are hearing more of it at alarming rates.
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Posted by ( Breallison ) on October 01, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Think?? There are other ways to feed your family rather than sell what God has given to be a temple, to keep CLEAN and PURE!!! Try McDonalds, Hardees, Fast food anywhere. I don’t buy can’t work. There are too many fast food restaurants that need help.
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Posted by ( Cara ) on October 01, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Maybe instead of discussing how unattractive these women are, we should be looking at why they’re prostituting themselves. Maybe they have no other way to feed themselves and/or their families.
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Posted by ( jones203 ) on October 01, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Those women prostitutes? You’re kidding right? The men pictured are nicer looking!
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Posted by ( sailorman ) on October 01, 2008 at 5:26 pm
I was in the navy for twenty years and have been around the world and been in some ports that had prostitutes and they were beauty queens, compared to the ones arrested in Kingsport.
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