The multi-agency undercover operation at an Atmore hotel included arrests of an Alabama lawmaker and two other public officials.
ATMORE, AL — Seventeen people were arrested during a multi-agency undercover operation targeting alleged human trafficking and prostitution activity at an Atmore hotel, according to the Atmore Police Department.
Police said the operation was conducted Oct. 1 through Oct. 3 and involved officers from several agencies across southwest Alabama. Investigators used online advertisements as part of the operation, with people who responded believing they were communicating with potential escorts or victims, authorities said. Police said those communications were instead with law enforcement officers. The hotel where the operation took place has not been publicly identified.
The arrests included people accused of first-degree human trafficking, soliciting prostitution and attempting to elude law enforcement, according to information released by Atmore police. The defendants are accused of crimes and have not been convicted. Court records later showed that attempted human trafficking charges were pursued against at least two defendants because the undercover operation did not involve an actual trafficking victim.
Among those arrested was Alabama Rep. Brett Easterbrook, a Republican from Fruitdale who represents House District 65. Easterbrook was initially listed by police on a first-degree human trafficking charge and a charge of soliciting prostitution. Court filings reported Monday showed prosecutors moved to reduce the trafficking allegation to attempted human trafficking because the case resulted from a sting operation in which no actual victim was involved.
Court records cited by local news organizations said Easterbrook allegedly agreed to pay $500 for sex with a person he believed was an 18-year-old escort. Authorities said the person he expected to meet was part of the undercover operation. Easterbrook was first elected to the Alabama House in 2018 and is not seeking another term. Attempts by news organizations to obtain comment from Easterbrook were unsuccessful as the case developed.
Kory Wesley, who was president of the Satsuma City Schools Board of Education at the time of his arrest, was also initially listed on a first-degree human trafficking charge along with attempting to elude. Prosecutors later moved to an attempted human trafficking charge in his case as well, according to court records. Satsuma City Schools said Wesley resigned from the board Sunday. The school system said city officials would begin the process of filling the vacant position while the remaining board members continue their duties.
Timothy Tucker, who served as Orange Beach’s public works director, was arrested on a charge of soliciting prostitution. Authorities alleged Tucker agreed to pay $220 for sex. Orange Beach officials said Monday that Tucker was no longer employed by the city and announced Tyler Davidson as the new public works director. The city declined to comment further on the criminal proceedings because the case is being handled in another jurisdiction.
Atmore police identified the other people arrested as Nicolas Gadson, Dominque Mobley, Benjamin Holman, Quintero Francisco, Juan Teletor-Siana, Cody Jackson, George Dance, Elijah Roy, Bharath Vijakumar, Algeber De La Cruz Cruz, Terry Long, Joshua Martin, Charles Mooney and Austin Berry. Police listed human trafficking allegations against several of those defendants, while others were accused of soliciting prostitution. Gadson was also accused of attempting to elude. The specific allegations against each defendant remain subject to the court process.
Atmore Police Department Maj. Charles Thompson said the investigation extended into online spaces through advertisements used by investigators. Authorities said the operation was intended to target crimes involving human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Participating agencies included Atmore police and sheriff’s offices in Escambia, Monroe and Clarke counties, along with the Poarch Tribal Police Department and police departments in Bay Minette, Flomaton and Brewton.
Police said three of the 17 people arrested were unlawfully in the United States but did not release additional verified details about their immigration cases. Authorities also said the hotel used in the operation was not the Wind Creek Casino-Atmore and declined to identify the actual hotel, citing the investigation and the possibility of future law enforcement operations.
The criminal cases remain pending, and the arrests do not establish guilt. Authorities had not announced final dispositions in the cases as of Monday, while court filings and employment changes involving several of the defendants continued to emerge following the operation.
Author note: Last updated Oct. 6, 2026.