FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 7, 2015
Xiomara Lopez (845) 638-5013
DISTRICT ATTORNEY ZUGIBE AND CLARKSTOWN POLICE CHIEF SULLIVAN
ANNOUNCE JOHN ARRESTS IN COORDINATED PROSTITUTION SWEEP
Sting Operation Aimed At Combating Supply And Demand Of Human Trafficking
Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe today announced the arrests of five would-be
sex buyers (or johns) in an ongoing effort to combat the growing problem of sex trafficking.
The sweep brought together the District Attorneys Office with the Town of Clarkstown Police in an
aggressive crackdown on the demand for purchased sex.
The joint operation also targeted pimps and traffickers who force victims into lives of prostitution.
Five men were taken into custody on various charges, including Patronizing a Prostitute in the Third
Degree, a class "A" Misdemeanor.
Sex trafficking continues to destroy countless lives, said District Attorney Zugibe. This
undercover sting should send a strong message to prospective johns that their hobby is not a
victimless crime, but rather a terrifying and despicable offense against some of our most vulnerable
populations.
With the assistance of female police officers who posed as escorts, detectives placed ads for in calls
and out calls on the popular Internet sites. The ads focused on predatory suspects seeking to
purchase sexual services from women.
Clarkstown Police Chief Michael Sullivan said yesterday's sting focused on local hotels and motels
where the department has seen an increase in organized and independent prostitution activities. The
Clarkstown Police Department intends to continue this and other targeted approaches aimed at
addressing this issue and to make it clear that such activities will be vigorously pursued.
Prostitution may seem to be a victimless crime, but that is far from the truth, said Chief Sullivan.
The presence of this practice in our neighborhoods brings an undesirable element with it and
negatively impacts the quality of life in our community. In addition, many of the people engaged in
prostitution are coerced into this very dangerous way of life with no hope of escape. Todays
operation was directed at those who would exploit these victims in order to satisfy their own needs.
It should be noted that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY ROCKLAND COUNTY

Thomas P. Zugibe, District Attorney
www.RocklandCountyDA.com

The Clarkstown Police Department will continue to work with our District Attorney and other law
enforcement partners to attack this serious problem by focusing on the demand for these services here
in Clarkstown and Rockland County.
One of the defendants, Anthony Tozzi (DOB 09/30/59) of 32 Bellgrove Drive, Mahwah, New Jersey,
faces charged of Patronizing a Prostitute in the Third Degree, in addition to several drug-related
felonies. Tozzi is accused of agreeing to exchange drugs as payment for sex. (See addendum for
details on defendants)
Said District Attorney Zugibe, Sex trafficking is a business that relies upon supply and demand. By
arresting the alleged johns, we cut off the supply. By charging 5 individuals with patronizing
prostituted women, we continue to dismantle local human trafficking operations. If theres no one to
pay for the women's sexual services, the women would likely not have been forced into a life of
physical and psychological abuse.
District Attorney Zugibes coordinated efforts to battle sex trafficking was originally launched in
2013, in the months leading up to Super Bowl XLVIII, which was held on February 2, 2014 at
MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In anticipation of the Big Game, the District
Attorneys Special Victims Unit took part in several planning committees led by the New Jersey State
Police aimed at preventing, detecting and preventing human trafficking.
The RCDAO received specialized training from the Texas Rangers, widely known as investigative
experts in sex trade industry. On a local level, the District Attorney's Special Victims Unit organized
a joint task force with the Center of Safety and Change to raise awareness of human sex trafficking in
the weeks before the Super Bowl. Training sessions were held to give hotel, hospitality and
transportation workers in the Tri-State Area tools for spotting and identifying potential trafficking
victims and other illicit operations.
The undercover operation and arrests were a joint effort between the Rockland County District
Attorneys Office and the Town of Clarkstown Police Department. Supervising Assistant District
Attorney Jennifer Parietti is prosecuting the cases.

####
Note to Editors: Press release e-version posted on RocklandCountyDA.com

DEFENDANTS
August7,2015
JohnSweepClarkstown

MichaelA.Greenberg(DOB05/05/79)
Nanuet,NY
1countofPatronizingaprostituteinthethirddegree
1countofunlawfulpossessionofmarihuana

AnthonyTozzi(DOB09/30/59)
Mahwah,NJ
1countofCPCS3rd/intent
1countofCSCS3rd/narcoticdrug
1countofPatronizingaprostituteinthethirddegree

SegundoG.Lopez(DOB07/14/81)
Suffern,NY
1countofPatronizingaprostituteinthethirddegree

ZalmenPollak(DOB03/16/56)
Monsey,NY
1countofPatronizingaprostituteinthethirddegree

EvensJ.Francois(DOB03/19/78)
ChestnutRidge,NY
1countofPatronizingaprostituteinthethirddegree