Global Courant 2023-05-13 17:46:41
Ohio authorities have arrested 10 men in a human trafficking case.
The men, who range in age from 30 to 55, were arrested Thursday on charges of sex in North Olmsted by members of the Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force.
On the same day, a Lorain County man who had previously been convicted of 31 human trafficking offenses was sentenced to life in prison.
The arrests were part of a one-day operation conducted in conjunction with the North Olmsted Police Department, the Westshore Enforcement Bureau and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to identify those offering and purchasing commercial sex.
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“The North Olmsted Police Department will not tolerate this type of activity in our town,” Police Chief Bob Wagner said in a statement Friday. “We will continue to investigate and prosecute individuals who come to our city and violate our laws.” (Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost)
One of the men taken into custody, 35-year-old Errol Jackson, of Lorain, is a registered Tier III sex offender, the Ohio attorney general’s office said. He was arrested for promoting prostitution and is being held at the Cuyahoga County Jail. Additional costs are expected in the case.
Nine additional men were arrested and charged with prostitution, a premeditated crime. Those men include Ahmed Aljabri and William Minor of Cleveland, Sha Chuwan of Erie, Pennsylvania, Dan Keenan, Jr. of Westlake, Jeffrey Ohl of La Grange, Erwin Palma-Torres of Garrettsville, Raymond Schillinger of Akron, Carl Whepley Jr. from Perry and Jacob Safran of Royal Oak, Michigan.
A high school teacher, a nonprofit executive and a man illegally residing in the country were among the arrests.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost speaks at the annual meeting of the Conservative Political Action Coalition at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Maryland, United States on March 4, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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Seven potential trafficking victims were identified during the operation and received resources from multiple agencies, including the Canopy Child Advocacy Center, Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, and the Harriett Tubman Movement.
While that operation was going on, 36-year-old Steven Gilbert, of Elyria, was convicted of 31 human trafficking offenses. He is eligible for parole after serving 172½ to 182½ years in prison.
Detectives discovered that Gilbert ran a human trafficking ring that targeted women addicted to narcotics.
Then-Republican nominee Dave Yost delivers his victory speech after winning the Ohio Attorney General race on November 6, 2018, at the Ohio Republican Party election party at the Sheraton Capitol Square in Columbus, Ohio. (Justin Merriman/Getty Images)
The Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force assisted the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office, the Elyria Police Department, and the Investigative Division of the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the case.
The case was prosecuted by the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office.
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“Yesterday was a banner day for the task force,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement Friday. “Their commitment to eradicating the scourge of human trafficking is making a difference in the lives of victims and has a profound impact on the region.”
“These types of activities are not a problem in North Olmsted. These activities are a problem in any town. You may think it doesn’t happen in your community, but you can see from the addresses of the arrested people that they will travel to find what they are looking for in hotels in our communities,” the North Olmsted Police Department said on Facebook.
Julia Musto is a reporter for Fox News and Fox Business Digital.
