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UConn Law professor and lawyer among 6 men arrested in prostitution sting

SOUTHINGTON–The Southington Police Department arrested six men on Friday, Nov. 14 after an undercover prostitution operation that was planned after numero...
ron murphy

SOUTHINGTON–The Southington Police Department arrested six men on Friday, Nov. 14 after an undercover prostitution operation that was planned after numerous reports of prostitutes actively working at several motels in the area.

An officer posed as a prostitute and responded to numerous requests for sexual activity in exchange for money. The officer arranged to meet at a local motel room, and the suspects who showed up were arrested and charged with patronizing a prostitute.

The six men who were arrested include Lukasz Kaziul, 31, of Southington; Paolo Mazzicato, 40, of Avon; Ronald Murphy, 56, of Farmington; Paul Tommasino, 54, of Meriden; Dana Layton, 59, of Union City, California; and David Tonseth, 58, of Marlborough, New Hampshire.

Ronald Murphy was also charged with interfering with a police officer. Murphy is a prominent trial lawyer who is bar certified in Connecticut and Massachusetts. He owns his own firm, Advocates Law Firm, which defends victims of accidents and malpractice, as well as those accused of criminal or professional misconduct.

Murphy is also an adjunct instructor at UConn Law, where he is teaching trial advocacy this term, according to the UConn course catalog. The Hartford Courant also reported that Murphy testified in the Michael Skakel habeas corpus trial last year.

According to a profile of Murphy on Cornell University Law School’s Legal Information Institute, which keeps profiles of barred lawyers across the United States, Murphy has taught at UConn Law, his alma matter, since 2005. According to Transparency.CT.gov, Murphy earned $1,618.66 in his role at UConn during fiscal year 2013. He earned the same amount, give or take $1, for fiscal years 2012, 2011 and 2010.

Below is a gallery of the other suspects who were arrested during the operation.

UConn Law professor and lawyer among 6 men arrested in prostitution sting

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