STANLEY – Eight of the 24 individuals arrested in the joint prostitution sting operation conducted by the Ray and Stanley police departments have been identified based on Stanley Municipal Court records.

The initial release from Stanley Police Chief Kevin Litten announcing the results of Operation “Naughty or Nice” indicated 14 individuals faced Class B misdemeanor prostitution charges from his department’s participation in the operation, but it did not identify them. Identification was provided by Stanley Municipal Court staff.

The eight individuals with cases presently filed in municipal court are Steven Bieber, Lane McCumsey, Thomas Kincheloe, Esequeil De Loera, Edward Ford, Oakley Johnson, James Vines and Travis Albertson.

According to Stanley Municipal Court staff, Bieber, Kincheloe and De Loera appeared in municipal court on Feb. 24 and entered guilty pleas to their respective charges. Vines has signed a plea agreement in which he pled guilty. Ford and Johnson entered not guilty pleas on Feb. 24, and have been scheduled for bench trials on Monday, March 24. McCumsey has requested a jury trial, but a date has not been set at this time according to municipal court staff.

Six of the individuals with cases that have transferred to North Central District Court for jury trials are Keith Eugene Sawyer, 50, Williston; Jose Guadalupe Castillo Tovar, 47, Tioga; Scott David Meyer, 55, Ross; Thomas Lee Weikel III, 47, Virginia Beach, Va.; Lars Phillip Zetterstrom, 35, Williston; and Lynn Alan Hove, 52, Parshall.

The six district court cases have all been scheduled for an initial appearance March 6.