Coconino County prosecutors have filed an indictment against a suspect who was named in the Flagstaff Police Department鈥檚 public announcement of arrests from an online sex sting in March but not formally charged for months.
Max Berkman, 27, was accused of engaging in prostitution with a minor between the ages of 15 and 17 in an indictment filed in Coconino County Superior Court on May 22. Under , that offense qualifies as child sex trafficking, a Class 2 felony. Berkman was one of 10 suspects named by the police on March 31, and the allegations against him actually date back to October 2024. The reasons for the delay in filing charges are still unclear.
Berkman is represented by defense attorney Ryan Stevens of the Flagstaff firm Griffen & Stevens. Berkman waived his right to an in-person appearance at an arraignment and pleaded not guilty. A court appearance is scheduled for late June.
Plea in works for Zorn
Former local radio broadcaster Dave Zorn, arrested as part of the same sting operation and accused of luring a minor for sexual exploitation, made a brief appearance at the courthouse this week as his case continues. (Zorn is by KAFF News, where he worked prior to his arrest.)聽
Zorn posted a $100,000 bond and was released from the Coconino County Detention Facility on May 16, after an unsuccessful attempt to secure a reduced bond the week prior. He appeared in person for a hearing on June 2, accompanied by defense attorney Dan Kaiser, before Judge Joshua Steinlage in Division 2 of Coconino County Superior Court. The prosecutor, deputy Navajo County Attorney Rob Edwards, appeared via Zoom.
Kaiser stated that Edwards had sent an initial plea offer, but he had not yet reviewed the offer with Zorn. He said he anticipated making a counter-offer.
鈥淚 have tendered an offer,鈥� Edwards confirmed to the judge, adding, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that I would be willing to modify that offer.鈥� Neither party disclosed any information about the proposed terms or stipulations of the plea.
The parties agreed to a four-week continuance for review and possible negotiation of the plea offer.
Arraignments for recent arrestees
In addition to the 10 felony arrests made as a result of sting operations conducted in March, the Flagstaff Police Department announced four arrests from continuing operations in mid-May. Like the original arrests, these were based on communications between the suspects and undercover law enforcement officers posing as minors.聽
Two of those four suspects were arraigned in Superior Court on Monday. Jose Adonis Rodriguez, 29, appeared out of custody before Judge Steinlage and pleaded not guilty to a single count of child sex trafficking. Rodriguez was arrested on May 9 and released after posting a $100,000 bond on May 12. He is represented by Sandra Schutz of Phoenix-based Kolsrud Law Offices.
And Aaron Jay Hudecek, 44, appeared in Division 3 before Judge Stacy Krueger, also pleading not guilty to the same charge. Hudecek is represented by Joseph Tobler of the Grand Canyon Law Group, and also posted a $100,000 bond for his release on May 11, a day after his arrest on May 10.
Ben Joseph Chaney, 51, was part of the same cluster of arrests and charged with the same offense. Chaney is represented by Bruce Griffen of Griffen & Stevens and waived an in-person arraignment, entering a plea of not guilty.
Finally, Mrbill Decker, 48 -- whose name the Arizona Daily Sun previously reported as Bill Decker -- was arraigned last week, on May 27. Decker faces one count of luring a minor for sexual exploitation, defined as 鈥渙ffering or soliciting sexual conduct鈥� to or from someone known or believed to be under the age of 18, and remains in the custody of the county jail.
No bond reduction for Zepeda
Jose Zepeda, 31, who prosecutors allege engaged in multiple sexual acts with a 13-year-old girl and shared videos of those acts via the social media app Snapchat, sought release from jail custody or a reduction in bond last week.
In a motion to modify Zepeda鈥檚 release conditions, attorney Alexis Petrosino of the Public Defender鈥檚 Office wrote that Zepeda had no prior felony convictions. The motion did not address the specific allegations against him: 鈥淸Counsel] declines to comment on the nature and circumstances of the offense charged at this time,鈥� the filing stated.
Responding to that filing, prosecutors noted that the family of the minor victim objected to Zepeda鈥檚 release. They emphasized the supposed video evidence of Zepeda鈥檚 crimes, and wrote, 鈥淭he State is confident in its ability to receive convictions on all counts at trial.鈥�
Following a hearing on May 29, Judge Krueger set Zepeda鈥檚 bond at $250,000, cash only. As of Monday, June 2, Zepeda remained in jail custody, where he has been held since his initial arrest in March.聽