Update: On February 5, 2024, Sheriff Mark D. Crowe of the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement regarding the death of one of the 17 detainees arrested in “Operation Not for Sale.”
At approximately 7:00 PM on Thursday, February 1, 2024, several Bryan County Jail inmates noticed a fellow detainee, 39-year-old Jason Manuel Herrera of Savannah, unresponsive in the cell. “Following protocol, medical staff and officers immediately responded.”
EMS, medical staff, and officers began lifesaving measures before he was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Savannah, 42 minutes away, where he received additional lifesaving measures.
Hospital staff notified the sheriff’s office on Saturday, February 3, 2024, that Herrera passed away. The Bryan County Sheriff’s Office stated, “We would like to express our sincerest condolences to the family of Mr. Herrera.”
The following was taken from a press release distributed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on January 31, 2024:
BRYAN COUNTY, Ga. – Police arrested 17 people in a proactive multi-agency online undercover investigation dubbed “Operation Not for Sale.” This operation targeted sex traffickers and sex buyers in the Bryan County area.
The GBI’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit (HEAT), Richmond Hill Police Department, Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia Department of Public Safety’s Georgia Motor Carrier Compliance Division coordinated the operation. Police offered resources to 10 sex workers.
Police arrested and charged three people with pimping:
Davron Jamaal Hinton, age 37, of Jacksonville, FL
Oswaldo Rodriguez Rameriz, age 33, of Savannah, GA
Karolay Karlay Rosalin Arraez Romero, age 23
Police arrested and charged 14 people with pandering:
Steven Ray Snelson, age 45, of Hinesville, GA
Antonio Babbs, age 45, of Hinesville, GA
James Rush, age 49, of Richmond Hill, GA
Mario Romero, age 33, of Claxton, GA
Alberto Jay Vadi, age 42, of Savannah, GA (DUI)
Rakshit Ravi Ramteke, age 21, of Savannah, GA
Miles Diede, age 29, of Savannah, GA
Chiragkumar Patel, age 36, of Savannah, GA
Jason Manuel Herrera, age 39, of Savannah, GA (Drug Charge)
George Foster Sharpe, age 38, of Savannah, GA
David Herrera Truijillo, age 37, of Eden, GA
Juan Mora Flores, age 48, of Washington
Samuel De’Antayke Sawyer, age 24, of Richmond Hill, GA
Seyth Allan Cambron, age 32, of Savannah, GA (Outstanding Warrant & Drug Charge)
Additional charges and arrests may follow.
“Operation Not for Sale” involved months of planning and the collaboration of four law enforcement agencies to combat human trafficking. The arrestees, ranging in age from 21 to 49, traveled from areas around Bryan County, GA with the intent to purchase sex or sell sex.
The goal of “Operation Not for Sale” was to draw in sex buyers for demand reduction and draw in sex workers to offer services. The objective was to identify and arrest pimps and human traffickers through this two-fold approach. The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) also assisted in providing resources to the victims.
This investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI’s HEAT Unit at 404-270-8433, Richmond Hill Police Department at 912-756-5645, or the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office at 912-756-3177.
All forms of human trafficking should be reported to Georgia’s statewide human trafficking hotline, 1-866-ENDHTGA. Trained law enforcement agents, advocates, and first responders are available 24/7 to answer calls.