While the mean streets of Gainesville often provide for hilarity in terms of criminal hijinks, the true epicenter of absurdity running rampant resides just a bit down the road.
Word out of Chiefland reveals news of a crime so ridiculous that we just knew Craigslist had to be involved.
According to an article in The Gainesville Sun, Chiefland police arrested a man pretending to be a woman offering "man rubs" on Craigslist at the rate of $200 per hour. Arthur Ramos or "Helen Bedd" as he was known to his customers, was charged with prostitution after police went undercover on the bulletin board-style Web site to set up a "casual encounter." After an exchange of $250 was made at an area hotel, an undercover agent made the arrest of Ramos.
Interestingly enough, Ramos conceded the fact that he was a prostitute - even going as far as to rationalize his profession by claiming it was the oldest job in the world. In addition to the services he offered in North Central Florida, Ramos ran a prostitution ring in Miami.
For the Chiefland Police Department, the arrest of Ramos marks the first time in which the Internet played a major role in catching a criminal.
The Editorial Board can't help but laugh hysterically over the plight of Ramos. At this point, we remain a bit perplexed by what exactly customers were expecting when they rendez-voused with the Craigslist hustler. As the ad promised "full-service" from a female call-girl, we can only assume jaws dropped succinctly with the removal of pants to reveal Ramos as all man.
