A Hayward police officer faces felony charges for allegedly extorting an illegal brothel and taking a $1,000 bribe and free sex services in exchange for protection against police investigations, and he could face up to four years in prison if convicted.

Hayward police officer Benjamin Yarbrough, 48, faces felony charges, with the potential of four years in prison, for allegedly extorting a brothel operator in exchange for protection. Prosecutors say he received $1,000 and sexual services using his position to provide tips about law enforcement activity, investigate competitors, and influence official duties, as KTVU reports.

"Officer Yarbrough’s actions appeared to act in support of the trafficking operation and to disrupt competing illicit businesses," a probable cause declaration stated, per KTVU.

As Bay Area News Group reports, surveillance photos matched in-person visits to the brothel at 22200 Main Street with text messages sent between March 12 and April 1, 2025, investigators said. Yarbrough allegedly used his personal and work cellphones to arrange sexual encounters and a $1,000 payment in exchange for protecting the business, while reassuring operator Yangiong Xiong that he was a “friend.”

One message read, according to investigators, "I don’t bust, I protect and keep safe."

Yarbrough denied receiving money, having sex with anyone at the brothel, knowing Xiong, or providing protection, according to the declaration reviewed by Bay Area News Group. Xiong identified Yarbrough in a photo and gave a statement consistent with the text messages, adding that the $1,000 — ten $100 bills in a red envelope — was given along with access to women to avoid police action.

It should be noted that, as KTVU reports, Yarbrough is the brother-in-law of Hayward Police Chief Bryan Matthews, who said the department learned of the investigation in July and immediately contacted the district attorney because of the family connection.

"After learning this information, and because of my familial relationship with Officer Yarbrough, I immediately contacted Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson and requested her office conduct the criminal investigation," Matthews said in a statement.

Yarbrough was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigations, and Internal Affairs is conducting an administrative review of possible policy violations.

“As police officers, we are held to a higher standard and the allegations in this case, if proven to be true, strike at the core of who we are as a profession,” Matthews said. “They are not representative of the dedicated, professional men and women of the Hayward Police Department or the policing profession.”

As Bay Area News Group reports, the latest allegations are linked to a San Jose police investigation last year into a residential brothel called "Hestia ACU Wellness," which led to Xiong’s arrest in June 2025 for running an illegal brothel. Investigators seized 11 cellphones and found numbers linked to other suspected brothels, including one in Hayward at 22283 Main Street called "Flame ACU Wellness."

A forensic review of the phones showed communication between Yarbrough and Xiong, leading authorities to open an investigation into Yarbrough.

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