Police chief in North Texas accused in prostitution scheme, DA alleges
A former police chief in North Texas is charged with promoting prostitution.
Matthew Cantrell, who was head of the Godley police force, was arrested Tuesday, according to Johnson County jail records.
The district attorney in Johnson County and Texas Department of Public Safety are investigating allegations against Cantrell involving a long-running prostitution scheme.
Authorities executed a search warrant on March 31 at the home of Michael and Ashley Ketcherside. Investigators found electronic communications and storage devices containing evidence of a prostitution conspiracy with “numerous clients” over the past five years, the DA’s office said.
The evidence also pointed to the Ketchersides collaborating with Cantrell and other officers to compile information on Godley public officials and private citizens that they “perceived as adversaries,” prosecutors say.
“The officials known so far” include members of the Godley City Council, Godley ISD school board, the former mayor and a former chief of police, the DA statement said.
Cantrell became Godley’s interim chief in early 2023 after the forced resignation of the previous chief during a period of turmoil in the small town. The ousted chief accused Cantrell, who was a patrol sergeant at the time, of trying to get other officers to write up complaints about him.
Multiple resignations led to the temporary closing of city hall in January 2023.
Cantrell was hired as police chief in Valley Mills, in Bosque County near Waco, in September 2024 and fired six months later under criminal allegations of falsifying time sheets. In October 2025, he and another former Godley officer were indicted on charges of misusing a city credit card.
Michael Ketcherside was arrested April 2 on a charge of continuous promotion of prostitution, according to Johnson County jail records. Bond was set at $250,000. In a response to Star-Telegram questions, on Thursday the DA’s office said Ashley Ketcherside has not been arrested.
The DA’s office said “other arrests are anticipated.”
This story was originally published April 8, 2026 at 3:59 PM.