ANTIOCH, TN - Nashville Metro Police have dismantled what they are calling a brothel located a short distance from the LaVergne city limits, as part of an ongoing investigation in Antioch.

On Wednesday, January 8, 2025, authorities charged five men accused of operating or accused of being tied to the suspected brothel, believed to have been run out of a recently acquired home, with felony charges of promoting prostitution. The five men allegedly fled as law enforcement, including MNPD detectives, federal Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, TBI agents, and FBI agents, arrived at the property to execute an HSI-led federal search warrant.

The nearly 3,000 square-foot home at 2334 Hobson Pike featured a picturesque park-like setting with a large front porch, three bedrooms, and three bathrooms. Property records indicate that the home and five acres changed ownership about five months ago after a Quitclaim was filed by an alleged husband and wife, leading to ownership by a Tennessee-based limited liability company sharing the couple’s last name.

A search of the home, located near Long Hunter State Park, revealed that the upstairs area had been converted into several small rooms used for prostitution, according to police. Seized during the search were business cards, ledgers associated with the promotion of prostitution, and more than a pound of marijuana.

One of the five men arrested, Gianfranco Augusto Barazarte-Morales, 31, is also implicated in the September 17th non-critical shooting of two men at another suspected brothel at 6166 Mt. View Road, as a result of an investigation by detectives from the Non-Lethal Shooting Unit. In addition to charges of promoting prostitution, felony marijuana possession, and evading arrest, Barazarte-Morales faces two counts of aggravated assault, felony reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, and using a gun in the commission of a dangerous felony related to the September 17th case.

Additional arrests include:

• Felix Rafael Ortega, 27, charged with promoting prostitution, evading arrest, felony marijuana possession, and felony possession of “Tusi,” a combination of cocaine, ecstasy, fentanyl, and other drugs.
• Elmer Humberto Aparicio-Castillo, 27, charged with promoting prostitution, evading arrest, felony marijuana possession, and felony gun possession. A semi-automatic pistol was found in the brush where Aparicio-Castillo was arrested, which he later claimed was his.
• Idenis Alexander Sanchez-Paredes, 22, charged with promoting prostitution, felony marijuana possession, evading arrest, and criminal impersonation.
• Wilfredo Jose Mata-Fornerino, 37, charged with promoting prostitution, felony marijuana possession, and evading arrest.

The Wednesday law enforcement action is part of a large-scale local, state, and federal investigation that has been ongoing for several months and continues.

Source: Nashville Metro Police and Assessor of Property - Nashville, TN

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