Twelve arrested in raid targeting sex traffickers, commercial sex buyers

ALBANY – Twelve people were arrested in an operation targeting sex traffickers and commercial sex buyers in the Dougherty County area. 

These arrests came out of an investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit (HEAT), in partnership with the Albany-Dougherty Special Investigations Unit, Albany Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Georgia State Patrol, according to a Nov. 10 release from the GBI. The investigation was dubbed “Operation Raydiant Shadows.” 

The following people were arrested and charged with pandering:

— Don Hill, 46, of Dawson

— Alan Adkins, 28, of Leesburg

— William Price, 58, of Albany

— Michael Saxton Evans, 43, of Albany

— Paige Thomas, 40, of Alexandria, Va. (also charged with obstruction)

— Daniel Alexander Chilel-Garcia, 17, of Bronwood

— Malik Yoba Lawrence, 26, of Leesburg

— Brandon Denard Mitchell, 41, of Arlington (also charged with possession of cocaine)

— Mason Conley, 32, of Cordele

— Malcolm Jefferson, 40, of Charlotte, N.C.

— Patrick Kelly Bushman, 52, of Baconton

— Kyle Pack, 37, of Albany (charged with possession of drugs and outstanding warrants).

Anita Ivy, the GBI’s Human Exploitation & Trafficking special agent in charge, said those arrested held jobs throughout the area, including at Walmart, Pizza Hut, Flint Equipment Inc. and/or self-employed. Jefferson has been confirmed as a surgeon at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. 

“Dr. Jefferson is a thoracic surgeon who joined Phoebe in September of this year,” a Phoebe spokesperson wrote in an email response to The Albany Herald’s request for comment. “He has an exemplary professional record and has been a valued member of our clinical team since his arrival. We are aware of a recent misdemeanor charge that is unrelated to his employment at Phoebe. Considering this is an active investigation, we are unable to provide additional details at this time.

“We respect the investigative process and will continue to monitor the situation closely. Our priority remains providing high-quality, compassionate care to the patients and communities we serve.”

Ivy confirmed Mitchell was a convicted sex offender.

Georgia code defines pandering as something that occurs when a person “solicits a person to perform an act of prostitution in his or her own behalf or in behalf of a third person or when he or she knowingly assembles persons at a fixed place for the purpose of being solicited by others to perform an act of prostitution.”

Ivy said no minors were among the victims identified in this operation. She said the GBI is victim-centered. 

“Anytime we have an operation like this, we already have victim advocates on site with us to help, as well as medical,” she said. “We have nurses, so if there’s any type of medical concern or issue that they need addressed, we’ll have them there as well.”

The GBI also works with non-government agencies to help victims receive the support and resources they need, whether it’s housing, food or even a plane ticket to get back home. Those victims who don’t accept resources at the time, are given contact information to use when they’re ready.

Operation Raydiant Shadows took several months of planning and involved the collaboration of several law enforcement agencies, according to the GBI release. The arrestees, ranging in age from 17 to 58, traveled from areas around Dougherty County with the intent of purchasing sex or selling sex commercially.

Operation Raydiant Shadows’ goal was to draw in commercial sex buyers for demand reduction and draw in commercial sex workers to offer services. The GBI reported that the objective was to identify and arrest pimps and human traffickers through this two-fold approach, although none of the 12 arrested was charged with either of those crimes. Instead, most were charged with misdemeanor pandering.. 

Ivy said the Albany area became a focus because of reports from local agencies highlighting human trafficking as an issue. 

“I don’t have the data,” she said. “I know that we’ve had some investigations that have brought us to that Dougherty County area. And then, in talking with local law enforcement, they expressed their concern in the amount of trafficking that they were seeing. So we decided to coordinate with them in order to do an operation.”

Ivy said human trafficking is the second most profitable criminal activity in the U.S.

“It’s prevalent everywhere,” she added. “Albany was one of the areas that we went out and tried to target and conduct a demand reduction operation in order to just try to get some people off the street and hopefully get them into a better situation and out of the game, as well as to arrest those that are trafficking them or those that are buyers.”

Ivy said the GBI wants to not only make arrests but follow the investigation all the way to prosecution.

Additional charges and arrests may still be made. This investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI’s HEAT Unit at (404) 270-8433 or the Albany Dougherty SIU at (229) 430-5150. All forms of human trafficking should be reported to Georgia’s statewide human trafficking hotline at 1-866-ENDHTGA. Trained law enforcement agents, advocates, and first responders are available 24/7 to answer calls.