Councilman to resign amid prostitution sting

A Dallas Center city councilman submitted his resignation following his arrest during a series of prostitution stings this week, as more names are being added to the list of alleged offenders.

Terry Gibson, 54, submitted his resignation effective Thursday, though the council will accept it at its Aug. 24 meeting, according to the agenda. He was arrested by Polk County Sheriff's deputies.

"He's made that decision. He feels that it's brought embarrassment to the community," Dallas Center Mayor Daniel Willrich told the Register on Friday.

Willrich said that if he had a vote, he would accept Gibson's resignation.

Polk County arrested 20 people this week and five were taken to jail, while others were given a citation release with a specific court date. But the Des Moines Police Department arrested a total of 21 during its own sting, which ran parallel to the county's, said spokesman Sgt. Paul Parizek.

He said operations like these commonly run during the Iowa State Fair.

"We just know that thousands of people come to visit the State Fair and that's when we see an increase of transient criminals," Parizek said.

Some were arrested during a "street-level" sting that ran Aug. 18-20. Those individuals are accused of attempting to pick up undercover operatives disguised as prostitutes on the street. Others operations by the county and police department involved local hotels.

Those arrested Thursday were Hashir Ahmed, 24, of Des Moines; Mark Mayrose, 59, of West Des Moines; Godfrey Quenwon, 25, of Des Moines; and Grant Barber, 89, of Des Moines. Quenwon is still at the Polk County Jail on a $2,000 bond. Ahmed and Mayrose were booked on Aug. 20, but released the same day. Barber's name did not show up in Polk County Jail records.

Arrested by the Des Moines Police Department on prostitution charges were:

Hashir Ahmed, 24, of Des Moines

Mark Mayrose, 59, of West Des Moines

Godfrey Quenwon, 25, of Des Moines

Grant Barber, 89, of Des Moines

Kathy Leothi, 27, of Des Moines

John Cramer, 40, of Medford, MN

Korri Howze, 22, of Evanston, IL

Rebecca Youngbear, 24, of Saylor Township

Trevor Allen, 46, of Urbandale

Kaela Winfrey, 22, of Des Moines

Antwana Johnson, 23, of Des Moines

Joyce Williams, 21, of Des Moines

Mitchel McLaughlin, 21, of Pleasant Hill

Ricardo Castellanos, 35, of Des Moines

Edu Aragon, 35, Des Moines

Michael McCoy, 33, of Des Moines