The News Room [News Archive]
Sheriff Contact: John Roach: 313-213-5162
Release Date: Wednesday, September 3, 2003
Internet Deputies bust Internet predator for the second
time in three years --- Subject solicited same undercover officer
both times --- Sheriff Warren Evans to push for prison time instead
of probation
Subject: Matthew Mankoff, 28
Residence: Ypsilanti Twp.
Arrested: Ann Arbor restaurant where he works
Prior arrest: Mankoff was arrested in the fall of 2000 by the
Wayne County Sheriff's Office Internet Crime Unit for
soliciting an undercover deputy he thought was a 14-year old girl.
At the time of this first arrest, Mankoff was a K-12 band teacher
in the Deckerville school system. He had wine coolers, a copy of
Hustler magazine, and thought he was meeting two 14-year old girls
for sex.
He was found guilty of solicitation of a minor over the Internet
and sentenced to five years probation. The terms of that probation
included “No online chatting.” There were no restrictions
on e-mail or other Internet use.
New arrest: Officer Norm Gibson, who was the investigator on Mankoff’s
first arrest, noticed Mankoff was in a kids’ chat room on
June 24, 2003 and began communicating with him under a different
ID than the first time. After about three weeks, Mankoff again
solicited Ofc. Gibson, but never showed for a meet.
From that point, Ofc. Gibson began investigating the terms of
Mr. Mankoff’s probation, verifying his ID and finding out
where he lived and worked. Since Mankoff had clearly violated the
No Chat terms of his probation, no meet with an undercover officer
was necessary.
Mankoff was arrested at his place of employment, an Ann Arbor
chain restaurant, at approximately 7:00 pm on Wednesday, September
3, 2003.
He was brought directly to the Wayne County Jail and will be arraigned
on Thursday.
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