By Lee Roper
A self-described “MAGA” influencer and a member of the pro-Trump mob that stormed the US Capitol on Jan. 6 were arrested this week in a law enforcement sting operation focused on prostitution and human trafficking offenses in a Florida county.
At a news conference on Friday, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced the arrest of more than 260 people in the sting operation. Among those arrested was Craig Long II, 41, a Tampa native and proud supporter of Donald Trump with over half a million followers on TikTok. Long also describes himself on Twitter as “MAGA to the core” and has a pinned photo of himself with Trump and Donald Trump Jr. at a UFC event in April on his Twitter profile.
The Polk County Sheriff said that Long reached out to an undercover detective posing as a sex worker online. He arranged to meet with her and offered her $100 for “something quick,” WFLA Tampa reports.
Long, who is married, was arrested after arriving at the location and giving money to the undercover detective. He has been charged with soliciting a prostitute. Long has pleaded not guilty.
“Well, I’m gonna give him some content for social media. He was a previous felon who straightened up — really what we wanna see in life. Now he’s an influencer,” Judd said at the press conference. “He moves in big circles. Even with the president,” he added, holding up a photo of Long and Trump.
“We like the fact that he likes the cops. Heck, he liked them so much, he got caught up in a sting and got to be ripping up and real close with the cops,” the sheriff added. “He appreciates law enforcement. Well, there you go, you got arrested in the human trafficking sting. Influence that for a while.”
Judd also highlighted the arrest of Ryan Yates, 40, who was also charged with soliciting a prostitute. He was released on a $1000 bond.
The sheriff noted that Yates was among the thousands of Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost. Yates was sentenced to six months in prison and two years of supervised release for his role in the insurrection, but was pardoned by Trump on his first day back in office.
“Well, we’re not giving him a blanket pardon,” Judd said. “He got away with it in the federal system, but not here. He came here to violate the law. We arrested him; he didn’t resist us like he did the Capitol Police. He knew better.”
