(WARREN, Ohio) — An 83-count indictment filed in Trumbull County accuses eight people of running a human trafficking ring that forced women into prostitution at illicit massage parlors in the Mahoning Valley, Attorney General Dave Yost and Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene announced today.
“There is no humanity – only depravity – in holding a person against their will to profit from their suffering,” Yost said. “Let these indictments be a warning to criminals – our task forces are relentless in pursuing prosecution of traffickers and freedom for survivors.”
The indictment maintains that the defendants operated the Tiger Spa and Sunny Spa, both on West Market Street in Warren, as illegal fronts for sex trafficking and money laundering. The crime ring allegedly trapped Korean women at the establishments for three months at a time, forcing them to live on the premises 24/7 and perform sex acts for money. The Tiger Spa is no longer in business.
The charges – all felonies – stem from an ongoing investigation by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, formed under the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, part of Yost’s office. In March 2023, the task force and partnering agencies executed search warrants at the businesses as part of “Operation Saving Daylight,” a coordinated crackdown during which investigators seized large amounts of cash, financial assets and business records.
The investigation culminated in this week’s indictment for crimes spanning more than five years. Many of the indictment’s 83 counts name multiple defendants. The eight people facing charges are:
- Tae Suk Hwang, aka “Jeannie,” 62, of Saginaw, Michigan:
- One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity (F1)
- One count of trafficking in persons – commercial sex acts (F1)
- 58 counts of money laundering (F3)
- 14 counts of promoting prostitution (F4)
- Dong Meliodon, aka “Sara,” 62, of Duluth, Georgia:
- One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity (F1)
- 34 counts of money laundering (F3)
- Six counts of promoting prostitution (F4)
- Suk Hui Starr, 64, of Fort Worth, Texas:
- One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity (F1)
- 12 counts of money laundering (F3)
- Two counts of promoting prostitution (F4)
- Miock Dong Schaffer, aka “Cookie,” 56, of Norwalk, Ohio:
- One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity (F1)
- Nine counts of money laundering (F3)
- One count of promoting prostitution (F4)
- Chang Mi Hwang, aka “Cherry,” 59, of Duluth, Georgia:
- One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity (F1)
- Three counts of promoting prostitution (F4)
- Young Hee Yoon, 56, of Warren, Ohio:
- Two counts of promoting prostitution (F4)
- Kum Cha Shugars, 75, of Dallas:
- One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity (F1)
- One count of promoting prostitution (F4)
- Young Sug Kim, aka “Young Crazy,” 61, of New Waterford, Ohio:
- One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity (F1)
More than two dozen of the charges include additional specifications for forfeiture of assets.
Yost’s Special Prosecutions Section is prosecuting the case in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.
Also today, investigators executed another search warrant at the Sunny Spa. The investigation is ongoing, so no additional information on the search is available.
The Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, led by the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, includes representatives of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office, Salem Police Department, East Palestine Police Department, Austintown Police Department, Portage County Sheriff's Office, Youngstown Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Ohio Adult Parole Authority and Ohio Investigative Unit. The Harriet Tubman Movement is assisting law enforcement with the investigation.
Indictments are criminal allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proved guilty in a court of law.
To report suspected human trafficking in Ohio:
MEDIA CONTACT:
Dominic Binkley: 614-728-4127
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