Charlottesville man facing federal charge in connection with St. Charles Ave. arrest

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - A Charlottesville man is in custody after barricading himself inside a St. Charles Avenue home for nearly 16 hours.

Forty-two-year-old Brian Lamont Turner was arrested early Wednesday, January 24. Federal investigators believe Turner operated a prostitution operation, accusing him of posting hundreds of sex ads for women in various cities across the East Coast.

City police were on-hand Tuesday, Jan. 23, to assist the FBI with its operation. Armed officers could be seen in front of a home, and bystanders were moved away from the scene due to safety concerns as the situation dragged on past the afternoon.

The FBI released flashbangs several times - around 2 a.m., 3 a.m., and 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.

CPD announced a little after 8 a.m. that the situation on St. Charles Ave. had been “peacefully resolved” and Turner was in custody.

Turner is charged with violating the Mann Act, a federal law that criminalizes the transportation of a woman for the purpose of prostitution. He has a long history with law enforcement that includes other federal charges and arrests in Virginia and South Carolina.

“Turner specifically targeted female victims who had drug addictions, recruited them, and used their drug addictions to control them. Turner became the women’s main source of drug supply and threatened to withhold drugs from his victims if they did not complete their commercial sex dates or follow his directions,” the Department of Justice said in a press release Wednesday.

29News has reached out to the US Department of Justice and the Charlottesville Police Department, but both stated they are not able to comment on the case.

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