A 38-year-old Antioch man accused of pimping and pandering is wanted on an active arrest warrant after missing a scheduled court appearance in Contra Costa County. The case traces back to a Concord hotel sting that investigators say uncovered a suspected commercial-sex operation, a stolen handgun and thousands of dollars in cash.
Keith Haywood was supposed to enter a not-guilty plea on June 15, but court records show he failed to appear, leaving the warrant active until his arrest or return to court. According to The Mercury News, Haywood had already posted $75,000 bail after being charged with pandering, pimping, being a felon in possession of a firearm and carrying a concealed stolen firearm.
The Concord hotel sting followed an undercover request
Haywood was arrested during a Jan. 30 operation led by Concord police at a Hilton hotel, according to authorities. The case unfolded during a broader Contra Costa anti-trafficking campaign that ran from Jan. 25 through Jan. 31 and involved 21 law-enforcement agencies and five separate operations, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office said.
Investigators say an undercover officer’s request prompted a suspected sex worker to arrive at the hotel and ask for an electronic money transfer to the screen name @monstagirlinc. The woman reportedly told police she and Haywood were romantically involved, while authorities said text messages appeared consistent with pimp-prostitute interactions involving the spending of sex-trafficking proceeds…