Boone County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Covington Firefighter Tyler Cherry and charged him with solicitation of prostitution, possession of marijuana and operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
The charges come after Cherry responded to a dummy solicitation ad posted by Boone County’s Crime Suppression Unit on the internet.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested Cherry, who lives in Independence, on Jan. 15 around 9:15 p.m. at the Fairfield Inn & Suites on Merchants Street in Florence, according to the arrest report.
Upon responding to the ad, Cherry traveled to the hotel, carrying “$150 in U.S. currency on his person, which is commonly the amount charged for half an hour of sexual services,” the police report states, even though Cherry and the undercover police officers behind the sting had not agreed to a price. The report states that Cherry drove around the parking lot twice before parking and entering the building.
“When the listed subject came into contact with law enforcement,” the report reads, “he had a very strong odor of alcohol emitting from his person, was unsteady on his feet and had blood shot eyes. During the search of the listed subject deputies located a THC marijuana electronic cigarette.”
Cherry refused all sobriety tests and complained about pain in his chest before being transported to St. Elizabeth Medical Center for further testing.
Cherry formerly served as the secretary and treasurer for Covington’s fire union, Covington Professional Firefighters Local 38 and is currently a captain and paramedic with Covington Fire Department.
He’s run into the law before, including a similar instance of soliciting prostitution in 2021, in which he responded to yet another dummy ad posted by Boone County’s Crime Suppression Unit. That case was virtually identical to the one this year: $150 in his pocket, heavy smell of alcohol, THC vape and a refusal to do a sobriety test, according to the police report.
In February of this year, he was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence of substances, possession of open alcohol containers in a vehicle and several driving infractions after being pulled over – also by Boone County Sheriff’s deputies – for driving erratically, according to police reports. He was likewise charged with operating a vehicle while under the influence in 2000 in Campbell County, according to court records.
Cherry has been placed on paid leave, pending an internal investigation the city is carrying out in addition to the normal judicial investigation.
In a written statement from a city spokesperson, the city said, “while there are disciplinary procedures that the city must follow, residents can be sure that we take these accusations seriously and will address them with that in mind.”
Cherry’s arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 3. at the Boone County Justice Center in Burlington.