Man who does ICE background checks charged in Bloomington prostitution sting

Man who does ICE background checks arrested

Bloomington police announce the arrest of a man who performs background checks for federal officers, including ICE agents and the Department of Homeland Security.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A 36-year-old St. Michael man who performs background checks for federal agents has been charged with hiring someone for prostitution in Bloomington as part of "Operation Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places."

Brashad Antwann Johnson charged

What we know:

Brashad Antwann Johnson was charged in Hennepin County Court with one misdemeanor count of prostitution.

According to a criminal complaint, Bloomington police conducted a sting operation on Feb. 5 targeting commercial sex work. They used decoy ads on a website, featuring an undercover officer posing as a sex worker.

The complaint states Johnson, identified through text communications, agreed to meet the undercover officer at a hotel. Upon entering the designated room, he was arrested with $100 in cash and a cell phone. 

Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges says Johnson was a worker who is tasked with doing background checks for federal employees, including Department of Homeland Security hires and ICE officers. Johnson was one of 30 men arrested in the prostitution sting.

"The federal government has a certain agency that does all their backgrounds, the Department of Defense, he works for them. So he does all the ICE backgrounds, HSI backgrounds, FBI, whenever anyone needs a security clearance, he's one of the people who does it. Not just specific to ICE, other federal agencies also."

What they're saying:

A Pentagon spokesperson told FOX 9 that Johnson is a contract investigator for the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency through a firm known as Peraton.

The Pentagon told FOX 9 it was working to determine if "other actions should be taken regarding Mr. Johnson’s work."

FOX 9 reached out to Peraton last week to see if he was still employed by the company. Peraton has not responded to FOX 9's request.

Operation Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places

The backstory:

The operation was part of a broader effort by Bloomington police to suppress demand for commercial sex work. Officers placed ads that attracted potential clients, leading to Johnson's arrest. 

Johnson's court proceedings 

Dig deeper:

The complaint states Johnson agreed to pay $100 to the undercover officer for a "quick visit." The undercover officer confirmed Johnson's identity through a code sent to his phone. Johnson is facing a gross misdemeanor charge, which carries a potential sentence of up to one year in jail or a $3,000 fine. 

What we don't know:

Details about Johnson's legal representation or any statements from him regarding the charges have not been disclosed.