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Lakeland city attorney is retiring after undercover sex sting arrest

He was among a handful of people investigators say they caught.
Credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office

LAKELAND, Fla. — Lakeland's city attorney is leaving his job after he was arrested in an undercover sex sting.

A city spokesperson confirmed Timothy McCausland was departing his role.

"The City of Lakeland has received a letter of retirement from City Attorney Tim McCausland. The letter was delivered first thing this morning, effective immediately," Director of Communications Kevin Cook wrote in an email to 10News.

Click here to read McCausland's complete retirement letter submitted to the city.

McCausland, 69, and seven other people were charged as part of an operation by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Deputies say they used a fake advertisement on an adult escort website to help lure people to a hotel and catch them.

"Operations like this help us to not only seek out possible victims of human trafficking, but also find and take criminals off the streets who are hiding in plain sight," Sheriff Chad Chronister explained in a statement earlier this week.

The people arrested and their charges include: 

  1. Leslie Benitez, 24: Offering to Commit Prostitution (2nd offense)
  2. Lawrence Jones, 34: Soliciting Another to Commit Prostitution
  3. Xiaoru Kem, 55: Unlicensed Massage Practice
  4. Timothy McCausland, 69: Hillsborough County Ordinance Violation-36-340: Public Solicitation Event
  5. Stacy Gonzalez, 38: Offering to Commit Prostitution (Third or subsequent), Warrant: FTA Offering to Commit Prostitution
  6. Stacia Wilson, 38: Offering to Commit Prostitution, Possession of a Controlled Substance-Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Warrant: VOP Grand Theft Motor Vehicle and Burglary of an Unoccupied Dwelling
  7. Ashraf Zakher, 48: Soliciting Another to Commit Prostitution
  8. Mathew Mamman, 46: Soliciting Another to Commit Prostitution

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