State police: Sting leads to multiple prostitution, drug arrests

PHOTOGRAPHER: Shutterstock Image

Top: Vroman, Henderer, Devito, Brown; Middle: Owens, Wagner, Hall; Bottom: Kornegay, Cantine, Goettinger

RENSSELAER COUNTY — A state police sting at a Rensselaer County motel led to the arrests of nine women on prostitution charges, including a woman from Mechanicville, state police said.

The sting also resulted in the arrests of three others — two men and a woman — on drug charges, state police said.

State police from the Schodack and Sand Lake barracks participated in the operation Tuesday, along with the Community Narcotics Enforcement Team.

State police released the names of 10 of those arrested. State police did not release information on two of the women due to their ages of 18, which makes both possible youthful offenders.

Those arrested in the sting and their charges:

Jessica Vroman, 33, Albany, prostitution, a misdemeanor
Kiersten Henderer, 34, of Albany, prostitution and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanors
Danielle Devito, 37, of Mechanicville, prostitution
Melanie Brown, 41, of Albany, prostitution
Sonya Owens, 55, of Albany, prostitution and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance
Alexis Wagner, 30, of Albany, prostitution
Kristen Hall, 30, of Troy, prostitution and endangering the welfare of a child, misdemeanors
Reginald Kornegay, 50, of Schodack, fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony, and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance
Tiffanie Cantine, 27, of Troy, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance
Frank Goettinger, 42, of East Greenbush, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance

Kornegay and Cantine were arrested after troopers went to interview them in a car after they dropped off one of the other women and police saw drugs in plain sight, state police said. Goettinger was also arrested after he dropped off a woman and was then observed by police actively using drugs, state police said.

Also Thursday: