Polk County Sheriff’s Office makes 266 arrests during human trafficking and child predator enforcement operation “Polk Around and Find Out”
During a multi-day-long joint-agency undercover human trafficking and child predator operation, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office made 266 arrests involved in child predators, illegal acts related to soliciting prostitutes, offering to commit prostitution, aiding/abetting or transporting prostitutes, and other charges.
Nineteen (19) suspects were arrested for a multitude of felonies related to traveling to meet a minor for sex and other similar crimes (read that release: https://tinyurl.com/ys5scj4u).
The portion of the investigation focusing on illegal acts related to prostitution and human trafficking resulted in 247 arrests.
PCSO detectives were joined by investigators from the Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement; Attorney General James Uthmeier Office of Statewide Prosecution; Florida Department of Financial Services; State Attorney for the 10th Judicial Circuit Brian Haas; Auburndale PD; Bartow PD; Davenport PD; Hardee County Sheriff’s Office; Highlands County Sheriff’s Office; Lake County Sheriff’s Office; and the San Francisco Police Department, during the prostitution and human trafficking-related portion of the investigation.
Members from the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), and social services organizations One More Child, Heartland for Children, and the Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking, were also embedded with detectives and investigators during the entirety of the investigation.
The 127 suspects who travelled to commit prostitution were screened by detectives and the social services organizations to determine if they were being trafficked or exploited by others, and were offered services by the social services organizations at the operation. During this investigation, seven (7) possible human trafficking victims were identified.
There were 108 suspects arrested for soliciting a prostitute and traveling to the undercover location to negotiate having sex in exchange for money. Twelve (12) other suspects were arrested for aiding/abetting, transporting, or deriving proceeds from prostitutes.
OVERALL STATS during Polk Around and Find Out:
Detectives charged a total of 439 charges: 298 felonies, 141 misdemeanors.
The suspects’ prior criminal histories included a combined total of 1028 charges: 400 felonies, 519 misdemeanors
Some interesting notes from the operation:
34 are here illegally (from 10 different countries: Cuba, El Salvador, Argentina, Russia, Mexico, India, Venezuela, Haiti, Italy, France, Bahama, Honduras, Bolivia, Romania, Colombia, Jamaica, Ecuador, Canada)
167 are from outside Polk County, from 11 different states and Puerto Rico, and 18 different countries.
22 said they were receiving government assistance (total of $15,188 per month)
The youngest suspect is 18; the oldest is 68years old.
4 firearms were brought to the location by different suspects
21 people were charged with possession of narcotics
One suspect was arrested and charged with offering to commit prostitution. After she was released from jail on bond, she continued to advertise her services, traveled to an undercover location, and was arrested again. Two suspects (men) brought children to the undercover location after agreeing to pay an undercover detective posing as a prostitute, for sex. They were both charged with child neglect.
Notice is hereby given that Lake Wales Storage intends to sell the property described below to enforce a lien under the Florida Self Storage Facility Act, Statutes (section 83.80-83.809). The owner will sell at public auction on or after May 13th at 10:00 am at storageauctions.com
Units belonging to the following:
Bridget Maddox Unit 1076
Ashley Bane Unit 303
This sale will be continued on such succeeding sale days thereafter as may be necessary to be completed. Unless otherwise noted units contain household items.
April 29, 2026 @ 11:40 PM Pinellas County Road Ranger Crash on I-275
The following is a report by FHP regarding a vehicle crash on I-275:
A Honda Accord, driven by a 32-year-old Lithia man, was traveling northbound on I-275 in the inside lane, north of 4th Street North. A marked Road Ranger Ford F600 truck, operated by a 52-year-old Plant City man, was stopped in traffic northbound on I-275 in the inside lane.
The remaining three northbound lanes of I-275 were closed due to active construction. Traffic cones were positioned to direct all northbound traffic into the inside lane; all cones were upright and clearly visible. Advanced warning signs and arrow boards were also in place to alert approaching motorists of the lane closure. Multiple law enforcement vehicles were positioned within the lane closure area with their emergency lights activated to provide additional warning to approaching traffic.
While the Road Ranger was stopped in traffic, the driver of the Honda Accord failed to slow or stop upon approach. As a result, the front of the Honda Accord collided with the rear of the Road Ranger truck.
The Road Ranger operator was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the Honda Accord, Cedrick Travon Brown, was arrested for DUI, Refusal to Submit, Driving While License Suspended/Revoked, and an active felony warrant.
During a multi-day joint-agency undercover operation led by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office named “Operation Child Protector VIII” focusing on those who prey upon and travel to meet children for unlawful sexual activity, 19 suspects were arrested for a multitude of felonies.
PCSO detectives were joined by detectives from the Auburndale Police Department, Davenport Police Department, Lake City Police Department, Orlando Police Department, Hardee County Sheriff’s Office, Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Pasco Sheriff’s Office, San Francisco (CA) Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Financial Services Criminal Investigations Division.
Sixteen of the suspects communicated with and solicited who they thought were children or guardians of children online, and were charged with traveling to meet a minor for sex. Three suspects sent nude photos to the undercover detectives, and five suspects were from outside Polk County. Seven of the suspects are married, and three are military veterans. Three of the suspects were charged with human trafficking, for offering to pay to have sex with a child.
In all, the suspects are collectively charged with 85 felonies and 8 misdemeanors.
“It never ceases to amaze us how many suspects travel to have sex with who they believe are children, especially here in Polk County where we proactively investigate and arrest those who prey on children. Speaking of believing, we even arrested Santa Claus during this undercover operation.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
SUSPECTS ARRESTED (in alphabetical order):
33-year-old Tyler Berrie, DOB 11/13/1992, of Lake Wales, FL. Berrie sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. He was explicit in describing the sex acts he wanted to perform on the child and arranged to pick her up at a local park, offering to pay her 0 to perform sex acts on her. He left work early to meet her, and brought her candy bars.
Berrie was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Human trafficking (F1)
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of computer to seduce a child (F3)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
51-year-old Trenton Berry, DOB 8/8/1974, of Lakeland, FL. Berry sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 14-year-old boy. He told the UC the sex acts he wanted to perform “before going to work” and within 21 minutes of initiating the online conversation, he drove to the undercover location. He told detectives he is married. He was arrested by the PCSO during Operation Traffic Stop in February 2023 for offering to commit prostitution.
Berry was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of computer to seduce a child (F3)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
Possession of methamphetamine (F3)
Possession of drug paraphernalia (M1)
33-year-old Noah Berumen, DOB 3/15/1993, of Orlando, FL. Berumen sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 14-year-old boy. He told the UC the sex acts he wanted to perform and he drove to the undercover location after dropping off his fare – he is an Uber driver.
Berumen was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
Resisting arrest (M1)
39-year-old Gheorghe Bradley, DOB 1/5/1987, of Lakeland, FL. Bradley sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 14-year-old boy. He was explicit in describing the sex acts he wanted to perform on the child and sent him nude photos. He told detectives he is married with a baby on the way.
Bradley was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of computer to seduce a child (F3)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Transmission of material harmful to a minor (F3)
Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
21-year-old Alan Brown Jr., DOB 11/29/2004, of Lakeland, FL. Brown sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 13-year-old girl. He was also identified as a suspect referenced in a NCMEC tip regarding possession of child pornography.
Brown was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of computer to seduce a child (F3)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
35-year-old Joshua Sanchez Bullard, DOB 1/7/1991, of Haines City, FL. Sanchez sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 14-year-old boy. He was explicit in describing the sex acts he wanted to perform on the child and sent him a sexually explicit video. He told detectives he has been married to his husband for four years.
Sanchez Bullard was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of computer to seduce a child (F3)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Transmission of material harmful to a minor (F3)
Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
24-year-old Hongkun Cheng, DOB 3/6/2003, of Tampa, FL. Cheng sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 13-year-old girl. He was explicit in describing the sex acts he wanted to perform on the child and asked her to send nude photos, and photos of her feet and armpits. He told detectives he spent four years in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Cheng was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of computer to seduce a child (F3)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
38-year-old Clinton Dees, DOB 3/15/1988, of Winter Haven, FL. A NCMEC tip was sent to the PCSO regarding video and image files depicting child sexual abuse material where the ages of the victims ranged from six years old to ten years old in an account that detectives identified as belonging to Dees. They determined that Dees had been arrested on March 29, 2026, for DUI and is currently still in the Polk County Jail. They served a search warrant to collect the cell phone Dees had on him upon his arrest, and Dees was additionally charged with:
7 counts possession of child pornography (F3)
57-year-old David Esquivel, DOB 4/2/1969, of Haines City, FL. Esquivel sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 14-year-old boy. He was explicit in describing the sex acts he wanted to perform on the child and said he would bring a condom (he did). He told detectives he has been married for 28 years and he and his wife have 4 children and one grandchild.
Esquivel was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of computer to seduce a child (F3)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
Resisting arrest (M1)
27-year-old Noah Geraci, DOB 4/4/1999, of Lakeland, FL. Geraci sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 14-year-old boy. He was explicit in describing the sex acts he wanted to perform on the child and sent nude photos. He told detectives he is married.
Geraci was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of computer to seduce a child (F3)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Transmission of material harmful to a minor (F3)
Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
34-year-old Derek Heard, DOB 6/25/1991, of Lakeland, FL. Heard sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 14-year-old boy. He was explicit in describing the sex acts he wanted to perform on the child and said he would bring condoms.
Heard was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of computer to seduce a child (F3)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
68-year-old Thomas Hicks, DOB 9/4/1957, of Lakeland, FL. Hicks sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 13-year-old girl’s guardian. He told the UC that he would pay $200 to have sex with the girl and was explicit in describing the sex acts he wanted to perform on the child, but said that he would be gentle. He told detectives that he has been married over 50 years, but regularly goes onto known “prostitution sites” looking for prostitutes or companions. Hicks is in marketing for Tri-County Behavioral Health in Polk County, and plays Santa Claus every year at several different events.
Hicks was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Human trafficking (F1)
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of computer to seduce a child (F3)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
62-year-old Lonnie Hill Sr., DOB 7/20/1963, of Riviera Beach, FL. For five weeks, Hill sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 13-year-old girl. He told the UC that he wanted to marry her, and he drove over 2.5 hours to pick her up. He brought condoms and male enhancement pills. He fought with deputies as they were taking him into custody, resulting in breaking one of the deputies’ legs.
Hill was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of computer to seduce a child (F3)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
Aggravated battery on LEO (F1)
Resisting arrest with violence (F3)
Resisting arrest without violence (M1)
62-year-old Robert Johnson, DOB 1/14/1964, of Walpole, MA. Johnson sent social media messages and nude photos from Massachusetts to an undercover detective in Polk County who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. He was explicit in describing the sex acts he wanted to perform on the child. Detectives worked with the Walpole Police Department in serving an arrest warrant, and they took him into custody and booked him into their jail on the Polk warrant.
Johnson was charged with:
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Transmission of material harmful to a minor (F3)
18-year-old Saulo Jurado-Rodriguez, DOB 11/8/2007, of Winter Haven, FL. On Thursday, April 23, 2026, while on aerial patrol, a PCSO pilot observed two individuals standing near the wood line along Bomber Road, acting suspiciously. Patrol deputies responded and made contact with Jurado-Rodriguez, and a 15-year-old girl, who told deputies that Jurado-Rodriguez arranged via Instagram to meet her near the woods, then the two went into a vacant home in an area under construction. Inside the vacant home, Jurado-Rodriguez provided the victim with alcohol then had sex with her. They were returning to the wooded area when they were spotted by the helicopter pilot.
Jurado-Rodriguez was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of computer to seduce a child after misrepresenting age (F2)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F2)
Contributing to the delinquency of a minor (M1)
Giving alcohol to a minor (M2)
36-year-old Ahmed Morsi, DOB 6/25/1989, of Spring Hill, FL. Morsi sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 13-year-old girl. He told the UC that he was a dentist in Egypt, and was explicit in describing the sex acts he wanted to perform on the child. He brought marinated raw chicken to the undercover location to cook for the child.
Morsi was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of computer to seduce a child (F3)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
27-year-old Josue Negron, DOB 2/17/1999, of Lakeland, FL. Negron sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 13-year-old girl and was explicit in describing the sex acts he wanted to perform on the child. He said he was “definitely convinced this is PCSO” but still traveled to the undercover location. He brought a box of condoms.
Negron was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of computer to seduce a child (F3)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
57-year-old George Thomas Jr., DOB 10/27/1968, of Lake Wales, FL. Thomas sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 13-year-old girl’s guardian. He offered to pay $100 for a half an hour of sexual activity with the child. He told detectives he is married and an Air Force veteran. He brought a box of condoms to the undercover location.
Thomas was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Human trafficking (F1)
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of computer to seduce a child (F3)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
35-year-old Joshua Velez, DOB 6/8/1990, of Lakeland, FL. Velez sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 14-year-old boy. He said he wanted to “rape” the boy but upon his arrest, told detectives that he meant he thought the boy “looked good.” He told detectives he receives $975 per month in public assistance.
Velez was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of computer to seduce a child (F3)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Notice is hereby given that the undersigned pursuant to the fictitious name statutes 865.09 Florida statues will register with the division of corporations of the state of Florida upon receipt of proof of publication of this notice the fictitious name to BBN Home Buyers, LLC the fictitious name Jimbo Buys Houses. Located in Polk County, Florida that parties interested in said business enterprises are as follows Names or officers MEDEIROS SOUZA CORP.
From left: Brad Dantzler, Mayor of Haines CIty Morris West, Lloyd Stewart, Deputy City Manager and James Keene, Deputy City Manager breakground at the newest Habitat for Humanity home in Haines City.
By Anita Todd
HAINES CITY – A groundbreaking ceremony was held April 22 in Oakland in anticipation of the construction of Habitat for Humanity of East Polk County’s home #181. In about three months, a still-unknown family will move into the three-bedroom, two-bath home. The winner out of about 300 individuals and families who applied will be announced soon. Applicants must meet certain requirements: Must need safe, affordable housing; have a low-to-moderate income; willing to partner with Habitat; and be able and willing to pay an affordable mortgage. The project is sponsored by Publix Charities: 150k Full House Sponsor; Kenan Advantage Group: 25k Building Block Sponsor; and Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital: 5k Community Sponsor. The application period for the next home is May 11 – June 5. To apply, or for more information, visit www.habitateastpolk.org.
STATE OF FLORIDA – As the Sunshine State’s population continues to grow, roads and communities are becoming increasingly crowded. As land is cleared to accommodate that growth, Florida’s wildlife is losing habitat and struggling to survive amid the surge in construction and development.
To raise awareness about the importance of connecting and protecting ecosystems across the state, the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation is sponsoring the Longleaf to Lighthouse Expedition. The 100-mile trek begins in the Red Hills of southern Georgia and ends at the St. Marks Lighthouse on the Gulf of Mexico.
Four Florida lawmakers departed Monday (April 21) to experience the critical corridor connection firsthand. The group will bike, hike, and kayak approximately 20 miles per day, meeting with landowners, scientists, and storytellers who will provide a close-up look at the landscape.
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Participants include Becky Troutman, Polk County commissioner; Jack Porter, Tallahassee City Commissioner; Rick Minor, Leon County Commissioner; and Sean Parks, Lake County Commissioner. These elected officials represent counties along the trek and play key roles in land-use decisions affecting the corridor.
The expedition will highlight longleaf pine forests, quail country, hardwood hammocks, floodplain swamps, and the coastal marshes of Apalachee Bay. “This path is one of the Southeast’s most important ecological linkages—a landscape that serves as both a wildlife and water bridge between states. Together, these working lands, public forests, and protected waters show how stewardship across an entire watershed sustains the region’s wildlife, water, and cultural heritage,” according to the foundation’s website.
During a recent interview, Troutman said protecting the Florida Wildlife Corridor is important not only for environmental reasons, but also for future generations.
“I want my daughter to want to come back home after college,” Troutman said. “I want her to be able to find a job in whatever field she chooses while still recognizing the place she grew up.”
The foundation works to “connect, restore, and protect the Florida Wildlife Corridor, which spans 18 million acres—about half the state. Currently, 10 million acres are protected, leaving 8 million unprotected,” according to its website.
The Apalachee region will give participants insight into longleaf pine and fire ecology, Floridan aquifer recharge, quail and private land management heritage, and Indigenous history.
While the foundation has sponsored similar treks in the past, this is the first to include elected officials.
Troutman’s views closely align with the mission of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, and she said she remains a strong advocate for property rights. Through this expedition, she said she hopes to gain meaningful insight into how these two priorities can be thoughtfully woven together for the benefit of Florida’s future generations.
Polk County is one of 10 counties “especially vulnerable to this pressure and in urgent need of conservation—some with connections that could be lost forever without compatible planning. If we
don’t act now, half a million acres could be gone by 2030, and another 400,000 acres by 2050,” according to the foundation’s website.
For more information, to volunteer, or to donate, visit www.floridawildlifecorridor.org.
Facts about the Corridor
· 17.7 million acres
· 7 million acres of working lands in the Corridor, 13 percent are conserved lands.
· 75 state parks and 32 state forests
· 1.700 miles of paddling trails and 6,300 miles of recreational trails
· Florida’s tow official International Dark Sky Parks – Kissimmee Prairie State Park and Big Cypress National Preserve
· Canaveral National Seashore, Fort Matanzas National Monument, Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve
· Apalachicola National Forest, Osceola National Forest and Ocala National Forest
· Rare species habitat
· Strategic habitat
· Under-represented ecosystems
· Functional wetlands
· National floodplain
· Surface water protection
· Groundwater recharge
· Sustainable forestry
· 171 1st and 2nd magnitude springs
· Portions of 23 of Florida’s 30 outstanding Florida springsheds
A 68-year-old Polk County man known locally for portraying Santa Claus at community Christmas events was among 19 people arrested in Operation Child Protector VIII, a multi-agency undercover investigation targeting alleged child predators, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
According to a Polk County arrest affidavit, Thomas Allen Hicks of Lakeland was charged with human trafficking for commercial sexual activity involving a minor, traveling to meet a minor for unlawful sexual conduct, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and using a computer to solicit a parent or guardian for access to a child.
Investigators allege Hicks responded to an undercover operation involving a detective posing as the father of a 13-year-old girl and continued communications after being told the purported child’s age.
According to the affidavit, Hicks allegedly arranged to meet at a Lakeland location and was taken into custody when he arrived. Deputies reported recovering cash investigators allege was connected to the arranged meeting.
Court records identify Hicks as employed in marketing with Tri-County Human Services, and the affidavit notes he plays Santa each year at major Christmas events in Polk County, a detail Sheriff Grady Judd referenced during Wednesday’s news conference when describing a “well-known” suspect.
That public role had recently been highlighted in a Spectrum Bay News 9 feature that profiled Hicks and his wife Cindy as beloved local figures who portrayed Santa and Mrs. Claus at events across Polk County, including the Lakeland Christmas Parade and community programs for children. The 2024 story noted Hicks attended Santa school in 2016 and described portraying Santa as a way to bring joy to families.
During Wednesday’s news conference, Judd announced Hicks was among 19 suspects arrested during the operation. According to the sheriff’s office, 16 suspects were charged with traveling to meet a minor for sex, while three, including Hicks, faced human trafficking-related charges.
As with all criminal cases, the allegations remain accusations unless and until proven in court.
Sheriff Grady Judd will hold press conference on sting at 2:30pm today.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies have arrested 22-year-old Justin Johnson following a grand theft investigation at the Ace Hardware store located at 1218 Finley Ave in Davenport.
On Monday, April 27, 2026, deputies were contacted by the store owner, who reported noticing a pattern of unusually high refund amounts occurring over the previous week. The suspicious transactions, which ranged from $400 to $1,500, took place between April 18 and April 26. The total amount of fraudulent charges was approximately $7897.81.
During the investigation, deputies reviewed surveillance footage and identified Johnson—who was employed as an assistant manager at the time—as the employee conducting each of the fraudulent returns. According to the evidence, Johnson was making false sales and then processing the returns at his register; at the payment terminal he used his phone to transfer the refunded money into his personal account.
The store owner also reported that Johnson unexpectedly quit his job on Sunday, April 26, 2026.
Deputies arrested Johnson and charged him with grand theft more than $5k less than $10k (F3), and defraud to obtain property less than $20k (F3).
“This was a clear case of an employee abusing his position for personal gain. I’m proud of the quick work by our deputies and grateful to the business owner who reported the suspicious activity. We will always stand with our local businesses and hold offenders accountable.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Every year, doctors tell more than 5,000 Americans they have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS. It is a life-changing diagnosis.
Still, it’s hard to estimate the total number of ALS cases in the United States. No one knows what causes most cases of ALS, something the U.S.
National ALS Registry is working to change.
In honor of ALS Awareness Month, learn more about the registry, how the information is used and how to enroll if you have ALS.
What is ALS?
ALS is a disease that affects the nerve cells that make muscles work in the body. This disease makes the nerve cells stop working and die. The nerves lose the ability to trigger specific muscles, which causes the muscles to become weak and leads to paralysis.
What is the registry?
“The National ALS Registry is a program of, by and for those living with ALS,” said Dr. Paul Mehta, principal investigator of the Registry. “The program collects, manages and analyzes data about people with ALS in the United States. It includes data and information provided by individuals who choose to register and complete the risk factor surveys.”
What is its purpose?
The main purpose is to gather information that can be used in the fight against ALS. The information is used to:
-Estimate the number of new cases of ALS diagnosed each year
-Estimate the number of people who have ALS at any given point in time
-Better understand who gets ALS and what factors affect the disease
-Enhance research that could improve care for people with ALS
How do researchers use the data?
Researchers can use the data to look for disease pattern changes over time and try to identify whether there are common risk factors among people with ALS. Since 2010, the registry has funded more than a dozen studies exploring potential ALS risk factors.
What does participation look like?
Individuals with ALS are encouraged to share their stories, enhancing ALS data and supporting research efforts. People living with ALS can help the National ALS Registry by completing up to 18 risk factor surveys, covering topics such as occupational history and environmental exposures, which help create a more complete picture of their ALS story.
How can someone join?
Anyone living with ALS can enroll. By joining and taking the risk factor surveys, individuals living with ALS can help future generations.
