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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