Corunna, Mi – Shiawassee Human Oppression Team (S.H.O.T.) held a sting in rural Bancroft, Friday evening and arrested 3 men, one being a Track and Field Coach for a Michigan University. All three contacted the police decoy on the dark web. All three believed the decoy they were conversing with was a 15-year-old girl.  

Shiawassee County Sheriff Brian BeGole told Friends and Community News Group that the decoys had spoken online with over 20 interested people, close to ten stated they were coming and three showed up. 

Sheriff BeGole said that operation had been in planning for several weeks and that 10 deputies and staff from the Shiawassee County Sheriff’s Office along with 2 Owosso Police Officers, 1 Perry Police Officer, 1 Laingsburg Police Officer, and the FBI were involved in the operation.  

Friends Community News Group does not name suspects until after they have been arraigned. More information will be coming within the next few days.  

The Shiawassee Human Oppression Team, SHOT, is a multi-jurisdictional team whose primary job is to identify and arrest consumers of child sex crimes, to identify providers, and discover associated crimes. The team conducts operations to rescue children who have been forced and trafficked into the sex trade.  

Besides the Shiawassee County Sheriff's Office, The Team is made up of individuals from Corunna PD, Durand PD, Laingsburg PD, Morrice PD, Owosso Public Safety, Perry PD, Shiawassee Central Dispatch, Emergency Management, and the FBI.  

Last fall the team worked alongside of seasoned investigators. Now the Shiawassee County Team has hit the Cyberweb and is conducting their own stings.   

On May 26, 2021, the team led by Shiawassee County Sheriff Office Detective Lieutenant Keith Hansen conducted a sting operation in Durand, Mi. and arrested three alleged predators. They all came back together to arrest another individual on May 28th that could not make it to the sting on the 26th.  

All four individuals faced vehicle forfeiture as well as forfeiture of any money they had on them.   

More regarding SHOT, the organization is comprised of officers from the area departments within Shiawassee County. The Shiawassee County Sheriff’s Office maintains command and control of the team with Detective Lieutenant Keith Hansen in command. Hansen along with Shiawassee County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau acts as the case officers of the criminal investigation and follow the cases through the courts.  

SHOT has worked with the Genessee County Sheriff’s Team named GHOST, along with the FBI.   

The first operation conducted with GHOST resulted in the arrest of three people that were charged with Child Sexually Abusive Activity and other crimes.   

The Michigan State Police had stated that Shiawassee County had a large human trafficking problem. That problem included children in middle school and high school that had gotten trapped into human trafficking.   

The taskforce will also be investigating drug overdoses, prostitution, or any other human oppressive criminal activity that plagues our society. The Sheriff states that other Resources include DHHS, and the Children Advocacy Center to provide services for those identified and or rescued in these operations. 

In the photo below Sheriff, Brian BeGole is standing next to Detective Lieutenant Keith Hansen.