Pentagon Official Stephen Hovanic arrested in a human trafficking sting operation

(Nov 2023) Stephen Hovanic, a senior Pentagon official who oversaw the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools in the Americas, was arrested on November 15, 2023 in a human trafficking sting operation conducted by the Coweta County Sheriff's Office in Georgia.

The two-day sting operation, which also involved the Haralson County Sheriff's Office, resulted in a total of 26 arrests, including Hovanic who was charged with pandering, a misdemeanor in Georgia that involves soliciting sex. Hovanic was arrested at a SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Newman, Georgia after allegedly soliciting sex from an undercover officer in a hotel room where the sting was set up. The sheriffs office released this undercover video of the sting.

Six human trafficking victims were rescued during the operation and moved to safety, while three of the arrested individuals are under investigation for human trafficking and drug charges. Hovanic, a 64-year-old from Sharpsburg, Georgia, was released on a $2,675 bond on November 16, 2023 and has been placed on leave from his position at DoDEA.