Two Men Charged With Robbery During 'John' Sting in Montco
By Brad Segall
KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (CBS) -- Montgomery County authorities got more than they bargained for while conducting a sting to catch men patronizing prostitutes at a hotel on Route 202 in King of Prussia.
Upper Merion police say two men are behind bars, held in lieu of $100,000 cash bail each, charged with robbery and related offenses.
According to investigators, Melvin Hunt of Collegeville, Pa. and Maurice Keeley Jr. of Philadelphia answered an online ad offering prostitution services.
Police say the two men showed up just before 3pm yesterday, armed, with the intention of robbing the woman -- who was really an undercover cop.
Upper Merion police chief Tom Nolan says her surveillance team jumped into action and took the men into custody.
"We know that they (prostitutes) do bring a certain criminal element," he tells KYW Newsradio. "There's probably other times where this has occurred and we haven't been notified, where a prostitute was robbed and doesn't call the police."
Hunt is also charged with carrying a firearm without a license.
Nolan says three other men were arrested and charged with patronizing prostitutes before the attempted robbery took place.