Crime & Safety
IN State Police: Multiple arrests made in labor trafficking probe
Covington, IN – Indiana State Police detectives executed a series of arrest and search warrants on Monday, September 14, 2026, targeting locations associated…
By Country Herald Consumer Safety Desk · 2026-09-16T19:15:12.853Z
Covington, IN – Indiana State Police detectives executed a series of arrest and search warrants on Monday, September 14, 2026, targeting locations associated with Agave Azul in Covington and Attica. The operation, which involved assistance from the Fountain County Sheriff ’s Department and local police, marks a significant development in an ongoing investigation regarding alleged employee harassment toward customers.
The probe resulted in the arrest of Carlos Gjeronimo, 19, of Covington, who faces preliminary charges of sexual misconduct with a minor, a Level 5 felony. Dani Hernandez, 29, also of Covington, was taken into custody and charged with false informing and aggressive harassment. Further investigation revealed that Jose Lopez, 41, the primary subject of the warrants, allegedly provided false information to law enforcement on multiple occasions and failed to report allegations of sexual misconduct and battery to authorities.
Attribution from the Indiana State Police indicates that Jose Lopez was arrested and transported to the Fountain County Jail. He currently faces a series of serious charges, including obstruction of justice involving child abuse Level 5 felony , promotion of human labor trafficking Level 4 felony , harboring and transporting illegal aliens Level 6 felony , assisting a criminal Level 6 felony , false informing, and failure to report.
The investigation remains active, and police noted that there is no further information to be released at this stage. All suspects involved are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Authorities continue to gather evidence to ensure all facets of the allegations are thoroughly reviewed.
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