Ex-Detective Charged in Sting to Again Appear in Court

A former Pittsburgh narcotics detective charged with orchestrating a Moon prostitution ring is scheduled to once again appear in Coraopolis District Court today. 

Talib Kevin Ghafoor, 55, is set to appear before Magisterial District Judge Mary Murray on charges that he organized the ring and purchased online advertisements for prostitutes.

The hearing was for June 21, but was postponed because Ghafoor had to appear in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas that day on another set of prostitution charges. 

in June  Ghafoor with two felony counts of promoting prostitution, two felony counts of conspiracy, four felony counts of running a corrupt organization and two counts of possessing instruments of crime.

This is the second Moon prostitution incident in which Ghafoor has been charged. Police first arrested the former Pittsburgh Police Officer of the Year in March during

Police accused him in March of driving his fiance to a Moon hotel on the pretext of having sex for money with an undercover Moon detective.

The following other defendants are charged by and scheduled for preliminary hearings Aug. 2 at Murray's court in Coraopolis:

• Fred Vennie, 65, of Moon, was charged in October 2010 with felony conspiracy and committing criminal acts, drug possession with intent to deliver and two misdemeanor counts of prohibited acts. His bail amount was listed as $1,000. 

• Omar Alkhateeb, 25, of Moon, was charged June 28 with two counts of driving under the influence of a controlled substance, driving without a vehicle registration and driving with a suspended license. 

• James Kahle, 45, of Moon, was charged June 28 with two counts of driving under the influence of a controlled substance.