WARREN, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—Eight people are facing an 83-count indictment in Trumbull County for allegedly operating a human trafficking ring that forced women into prostitution at illicit massage parlors in the Mahoning Valley, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene announced Saturday.

The indictment alleges the defendants ran the Tiger Spa and Sunny Spa, both located on West Market Street in Warren, as fronts for sex trafficking and money laundering. According to the charges, the crime ring trapped Korean women at the establishments for three-month periods, forcing them to live on the premises around the clock and perform sex acts for money. The Tiger Spa is no longer in business.

“There is no humanity – only depravity – in holding a person against their will to profit from their suffering,” Yost said in a statement. “Let these indictments be a warning to criminals – our task forces are relentless in pursuing prosecution of traffickers and freedom for survivors.”

The charges, all felonies, are the result of an ongoing investigation by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, which operates under the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, part of Yost’s office. In March 2023, the task force and partner agencies executed search warrants at the businesses as part of “Operation Saving Daylight,” a coordinated effort that led to the seizure of large amounts of cash, financial assets, and business records.

The investigation culminated in this week’s indictment, covering crimes that allegedly occurred over more than five years. Many of the 83 counts name multiple defendants.

The eight individuals 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), and 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), and 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), and 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), and 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) and 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) and 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 the forfeiture of assets.

Yost’s Special Prosecutions Section is prosecuting the case in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

Investigators also executed another search warrant at the Sunny Spa on Saturday. Authorities said the investigation is ongoing, and no further information about the search was immediately available.

The Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, led by the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, includes representatives from various law enforcement agencies, including 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 the Ohio Investigative Unit.

Indictments are criminal allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Authorities urge anyone who suspects human trafficking in Ohio to call (844) END-OHHT, text “ENDOHHT” to 847411, download the END OHHT app on Apple or Android devices, or submit information online at ohioattorneygeneral.gov/ENDOHHT.

The post Ohio Authorities bust alleged human trafficking ring, 8 indicted in Mahoning Valley first appeared on Crawford County Now.