OAKLAND — Two men from Washington were arrested and charged with aiding prostitution after undercover cops spotted them interacting with suspected sex workers on International Boulevard, court records show.
Aavron Manning-Blanks Jr., 20, and Zion Johnson, 19, were charged with felony gun possession and a misdemeanor count of aiding prostitution after a March 10 undercover operation by Oakland police. The men were both seen interacting and exchanging items with two women who were dressed in lingerie around 7 p.m., in a part of Oakland known for prostitution. The women both turned out to be Washington state residents, like Manning-Blanks and Johnson, authorities said.
An undercover detail called Oakland patrol officers, who pulled Johnson and Manning-Blanks over. The officers found a gun in the vehicle, and Johnson told them he “found it in some bushes,” police said in court filings.
The two women were interviewed. One admitted they were sex workers but denied they had a pimp, and said they were traveling through the Bay Area en route to Los Angeles, authorities said.
Both men have been released from jail while the case is pending, records show. They have pleaded not guilty.