Jacqueline Arias {BSO}
A woman is facing multiple felony charges after police said a months-long investigation uncovered what detectives described as a prostitution operation and money laundering scheme run out of a Coconut Creek apartment.
According to Coconut Creek Police Department investigative records, Jacqueline Arias, 49, was charged on March 19 with racketeering, money laundering, deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution, owning or operating a space for prostitution, and renting space for prostitution-related activity.
Investigators allege the operation was based in an apartment at Vista Verde Apartments, located at 4768 West Atlantic Boulevard.
According to police, the investigation began last September after the property manager at Vista Verde Apartments received an anonymous call claiming a woman was being trafficked at the complex. The manager then contacted Coconut Creek police.
During the investigation, detectives learned that leasing office staff and a maintenance worker had previously entered the apartment during a maintenance visit in February 2025 and found what they described as two booth-like stalls built inside the living room. Police said the area had partitions, massage tables, and windows covered with sheets or fabric. Staff did not initially report it because they said they did not see obvious criminal activity or anyone appearing to be in distress.
Detectives determined the apartment was leased solely to Arias. Investigators noted that, despite several businesses being tied to her name, wage records showed no income reported since 2017.
As the investigation progressed, surveillance became a major part of the case, and detectives watched the apartment and reported seeing Arias repeatedly come and go, but said she did not appear to live there full-time. According to police, she often left in the early evening and was believed to return to her Miami-Dade address overnight, then come back to Coconut Creek the next day.
Police also said Arias appeared to be transporting women connected to the operation. On September 30 and October 1, detectives reported seeing her pick up two Hispanic women from the apartment and drive them around throughout the day, which investigators said they believed were out-call sex appointments. Detectives added that the women were never seen leaving the apartment on their own and appeared to rely on Arias for transportation.
Another major break in the case came through interviews with men who visited the unit. Detectives said they observed multiple men entering and leaving the apartment, usually staying for 15 to 30 minutes. One man stopped after leaving told police he had paid $180 for 30 minutes of sex and provided phone numbers connected to women he said he met there. Detectives later linked those numbers to online escort ads for women in the Atlantic Boulevard, Margate, and Coconut Creek areas.
In December 2025, three more men were stopped and interviewed after visiting the apartment. According to police, one said he paid $120 in cash for sex. Another told detectives he found an online escort ad using the same phone number and paid $80 cash for oral sex. A third said he located an ad through Google that led him to List Crawler and paid $120 for oral sex. All three described similar encounters involving a blonde Hispanic woman.
Investigators then turned to the money trail. After learning from one of the men that Zelle had been used for payments, detectives subpoenaed account records tied to Arias and another woman. Police said the records showed payments coming from numerous unrelated accounts, many appearing to belong to men, often in amounts ranging from about $60 to $200. Detectives also alleged Arias moved money repeatedly between Citibank, Chase, and business accounts to disguise the source of the funds.
According to police, Arias also paid the apartment’s rent with money orders, which detectives said was consistent with attempts to conceal banking activity. Investigators ultimately alleged that she engaged in $176,752.40 in transactions believed to be tied to unlawful proceeds over a 12-month period.
Arias was taken into custody on March 19 following a routine traffic stop and transported to the Broward County Main Jail.
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