Bloomington, Minnesota police say a man who conducted federal background investigations was among 30 people arrested in a prostitution sting earlier this month.
Brashad Johnson, 36, of Maple Grove, was arrested during “Operation Lookin’ For Love In All The Wrong Places,” which ran from Feb. 4 to Feb. 10, Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said at a news conference Tuesday.
“This is the most disturbing arrest that we’ve had here,” Hodges said, describing Johnson as someone who conducts background checks for federal agencies. “So when you’re getting your security clearance, this is one of the guys that does your backgrounds, which is kind of scary.”
Police said the 30 arrests marked a record for a single operation in Bloomington. Johnson had not been formally charged as of Wednesday and could not immediately be reached for comment.
According to Bloomington Deputy Chief of Police Damon Bitney, Johnson was carrying a U.S. Department of Defense identification card at the time of his arrest indicating he was a contractor authorized to conduct federal background investigations. Bitney said police confirmed that authorization with the federal government.
An ICE spokesperson said Johnson is not an ICE employee or contractor and has no affiliation with the agency. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Johnson’s arrest comes less than three months after a civilian ICE employee was charged in a separate prostitution-related case.
“We locked him up,” Hodges said of Johnson. “I don’t think he’s going to be passing a background check no time soon.”
