Active-Duty Airman Arrested for Attempted Enticement of Minor in Text Messages with Undercover Agent
An active-duty airman has been arrested and charged for the attempted enticement of a minor. The arrest was made after 36-year-old Armand Nicholas Lu, a Technical Sergeant (E-06) assigned to the Dover Air Force Base, unknowingly met and began communicating via text message with a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Over the course of several weeks, he thought he was sending text messages to a 14-year-old girl, who he enticed and arranged to “meet.” Lu has been charged via Complaint with Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. If convicted, he faces a maximum period of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison.
Additional Details from the Department of Justice:
According to publicly filed documents, Armand Nicholas Lu, 36, a Technical Sergeant (E-06) assigned to the Dover Air Force Base, met online, and began communicating via text message with an individual whom Lu believed to be a 14-year-old girl. In reality, and unbeknownst to Lu, the individual was a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Over the course of several weeks via text message, Lu expressed interest in meeting and having sex with the individual he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. On one occasion, Lu acknowledged that he could go to prison if he were caught. Ultimately, Lu arranged to meet with the “girl” on April 2, 2024, while her “mother” was at work. In advance of the meeting, Lu told the “girl” he had purchased intimate items in anticipation of their meeting, including condoms, honey, and lubricant. On April 2, 2024, Lu arrived at the pre-determined meeting location at which time he was placed in custody. During a search of Lu’s bedroom, law enforcement found condoms, honey, and lubricant.
Lu has been charged via Complaint with Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. If convicted, he faces a maximum period of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations investigated this case, with the assistance of the FBI’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force and the Delaware State Police. Â Assistant U.S. Attorney Claudia L. Pare is assigned to prosecute this case.
