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By EMILY SPARACINO | Staff Writer

NORTH SHELBY – The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office was involved in a multi-agency effort to combat human trafficking during The World Games this month.

The Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force assisted Homeland Security Investigators with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with the effort, named “Operation Games STOP.”

“Our Drug Enforcement Task Force assisted with a few operations in Shelby County, and we obtained state charges on a number of suspects,” Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Clay Hammac said.

On June 29 and June 30, narcotics investigators with the SCDETF, operating under Operation Games STOP, arrested 10 individuals on charges of allegedly soliciting prostitution, possessing illegal drugs and illegally possessing a firearm.

The following is a list of those arrested and their charges (“prohibited activities” is a subsection of soliciting prostitution):

• John Drake Aitken – prohibited activities

• Raymond Charles Hall – prohibited activities

• William Carlton Jones – prohibited activities

• Joseph Carroll Kelly III – prohibited activities

• Michael Thos Marshall – prohibited activities, unlawful possession of marijuana 2nd and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia

• Stephen Andrew Mauck – prohibited activities

• Reese Alexander McCrary – prohibited activities

• Frank Julius Nix – prohibited activities

• Samuel Lee Smallwood – prohibited activities

• David Keith Griffin – unlawful possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia

The operation took place on U.S. 280 in North Shelby County.

As part of Operation Games STOP, the Drug Enforcement Task Force on July 15 assisted Homeland Security Investigators with the search warrant for Lily Massage in Meadowbrook, which resulted in an additional search warrant for the business owner’s residence in Greystone, Hammac said.

In addition to the arrests, six sex trafficking victims were rescued and provided resources by HSI team members.

“Our partners at HSI and the intelligence support staff are the heroes in this operation,” Hammac said. “Our Drug Task Force in Shelby County has a passion for rescuing victims of human trafficking and aggressively pursuing those who seek to keep the industry in business. This operation not only brought relief to victims, but brought awareness to the community, and we will continue to fight in the weeks and months to come.”