12 New Jersey Men Arrested in “Operation Bad Santa” Child Luring Sting

Twelve men from New Jersey were arrested this week after allegedly attempting to meet with an underage child for sexual activity, authorities announced. The sting, dubbed “Operation Bad Santa,” was conducted by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office with assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies.

Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said the suspects—ranging in age from 23 to 65—were taken into custody after arriving at a Middlesex County residence where they believed they would meet a minor. In reality, undercover officers posing as minors had engaged the men through social media and messaging apps, arranging the meetings that led to their arrests.

The operation, which ran from December 8 to December 15, involved local police departments, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI Newark Field Office.

Most of the suspects face one count of second-degree luring and one count of third-degree attempted endangerment of the welfare of a child, both felony-level offenses. Those charged include:

• Marcos Aguila, 57, East Brunswick

• Cameron Ameye, 33, Bloomingdale

• Delpis Reynoso-Castro, 26, New Brunswick

• Jose Leguia, 57, Old Bridge

• Hareshkumar “Harry” Vala, 44, Dunellen

• Vedant Khandelwal, 38, Bridgewater

• Kevin Knox, 65, North Brunswick

• Joseph Davicsin, 46, East Brunswick

Raul Angeles, 53, of Asbury Park, is charged only with attempted endangering the welfare of a child.
Jorge Mora, 52, of Jackson, and Akash Shah, 23, of East Brunswick, also face charges of distributing obscene material to a minor.
James Keating, 59, of Edison, is charged with both attempted endangerment and distributing obscene material.

Authorities identified Ameye as a program coordinator with the Youth Rise academic readiness program at Passaic County Community College, and Davicsin as a middle school teacher in Elizabeth.

Prosecutor Ciccone emphasized that the investigation remains ongoing and reminded the public that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.