Five charged with prostitution in sting off Carowinds Blvd. in Fort Mill, deputies say

Five people were charged with prostitution Tuesday during an overnight sting at a hotel off Carowinds Boulevard in Fort Mill, police say.

Another person was arrested on an unrelated charge of marijuana possession, said Trent Faris, public information officer for the York County Sheriff’s Office.

The operation was a joint effort with the sheriff’s office and the Rock Hill Police Narcotics Division, said narcotics divison manager Marvin Brown.

Members of the sheriff’s office Anti-Crime Team and the York County Drug Enforcement Unit along with patrol deputies conducted the operation using a room at 3695 Foothills Way, according to the report.

The goal was to combat prostitution at hotels along Carowinds Boulevard.

Using information from the suspects’ adds placed on social media, police contacted each person individually, leading to arrests once the suspect agreed to engage in illegal activity, according to the report.

Charged with prostitution were Jeremy Trowon Bellamy, 26, from Columbia; Roberta Florence Criger, 28, from Orlando; and Derrick Lakelle Crockett, 19, Mack Ray Mitchell, 29, and Jvon Lamar Grayer, 21, for whom addresses were not available, according to the report.

The operation was a result of complaints from community members about prostitution in the area over the last month, Faris said.

Those arrested include both male and female suspects. All supsects were taken to the Fort Mill Police Department to await transport to the York County Detention Center.

This story was originally published December 14, 2016 at 2:10 PM with the headline "Five charged with prostitution in sting off Carowinds Blvd. in Fort Mill, deputies say."