On Tuesday, Tucson Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor announced the names of a handful of Tucson Police Department officers who are facing termination for their connection with the By Spanish and Daisy’s Delights prostitution rings. The Arizona Department of Public Safety has concluded its investigation into all of the players involved and has turned their case over to the Pima County Attorney.
The department is recommending the terminations for Officers Nathaniel Luttrell, Oscar Ramos, Daniel Santa-Cruz, Martin Walker, and crime technician Enrique Wilkins. Officers Jesus Maldonado and Michael McGuire resigned from the force.
The five employees facing termination will be on unpaid leave until their appeals are heard.
No criminal charges have been filed in the case against the TPD employees.
TPD provide a timeline of events on Tuesday:
- An investigation into potential criminal enterprises involving prostitution advertised on Backpage.com began in December of 2011 and was ongoing until the Spring of 2015.
- Tucson Police Department investigators from the Special Investigations Division discovered possible involvement of Department members in January of 2015. That information was turned over to the Department’s Office of Internal Affairs for further investigation.
- Investigation of possible criminal violations involving identified Department members was turned over to the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) on April 17, 2015.
- The administrative investigations were completed by the TPD Office of Internal Affairs and provided to the respective members’ chains of command for review and recommendations. At the conclusion of that process the involved employees were provided with notices of intent to discipline on July 13, 2015.
- Two employees resigned prior to the conclusion of their respective administrative investigations. The investigations where concluded and closed with a final recommendation for termination.
- Two employees received a notice that the allegations against them were unfounded.
- Final dispositions of termination were issued on July 20, 2015, for five employees for violation of Department General Orders that have a critical adverse impact on the professional image of the Department.
- One employee presented additional information requiring further investigation, and accordingly there is no final disposition in that matter at this time.
The investigation by DPS, turned over to the Pima County Attorney’s office reveals that the brothels sold the services of underage girls out of various properties.
It was the involvement of a Tucson property manager that fueled wide speculation about various politicians being involved in the ring after officials released the contents of his cellphone as part of a document dump on the press last month.
According to Arizona Department of Public Safety report, Criminal Investigation DR#AZ1500004526 Tucson Police Department Solicitation For Prostitution (read here) compiled by the Special Investigation Unit, the property manager allegedly utilized “the services of “Daisy” (Stephanie Garcia), working from (REDACTED), in exchange providing a discounted rental rate for the residence.”
“A review of Garcia’s financial records showed no indication of monthly rental payments or other monthly or repetitive payments,” reads the report. “Records show multiple small cash deposits but no indication of deposits of paychecks.”
According to the DPS report, services were offered on the Backpage.com website. The report reads:
On the advertisement there are phone numbers listed for the business. Contact is made with the number usually by texting. Daisy’s has an answering service, upon speaking with who answers the phone; the informant would ask if a certain girl was available. An appointment is scheduled based on the time period that is requested.
Upon arrival the girl would usually meet the client at the door. The girls are very careful as to not to allow the clients to see each other. Informant advised that waiting in rooms is a common request in order for the girls to place new appointments into rooms. A common or available service is for a 1 hour VIP massage for $160. The informant advised that a $40 tip is what was normally given. According to the informant each massage includes a “Happy Ending.” An hour massage routinely consists of a 45 minute massage and then the “flip.” Once the client is flipped from laying on their front to lying on their back is when the sexual act is performed. Once the act is complete, the client in most cases is allowed to shower prior to leaving the business.
The Pima County Attorney’s office has yet to decide whether the allegations will lead to charges.