HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Crime Insider sources say Reginald Johnson was caught in a sting that's been ongoing for months.
Detectives posed as a teenage girl online, with some potential “suitors” driving to meet-up for a hook-up. Crime insider sources claim the Henrico man was one of the ones that arranged a meeting, but say he never showed.
It was a surprise before sunrise Tuesday.
"Reginald Johnson, this is the FBI, come out with your hands up,” was heard by much of the neighborhood and was captured by a man living nearby who wanted to remain anonymous.
"Police were everywhere,” said neighbor Tyeatta Evans. “They had their weapons drawn."
The FBI and local law enforcement were knocking on the 63-year-old Johnson’s door on Winnetka Avenue, telling him to comply and come outside.
"I mean, I was asleep and my dogs started acting crazy, so I had to get up and see what's going on," said Evans.
Federal sources say Johnson is one of more than a dozen they've arrested for soliciting sex from what was thought to be a 13-year-old girl. The only problem was, that girl was an undercover detective.
Neighbors say they saw the feds removing evidence from the home.
Sources call this an ongoing operation and say more arrests are imminent.
"I saw the gentleman take off his vest, and it had FBI written on it," said Evans.
People that live right off Azalea Avenue say they see the police on patrol, but they’re there normally for petty crime in their community.
"I would've never thought that it would be something like this," said Evans. "I was like ‘Whoa, something big is going on.’"
Johnson is now being held at Rappahanock Regional Jail. As for the extent of the investigation, Crime Insider sources can only say it covers Central Virginia cities and counties.
