Operators of Mahoning County massage parlors face multiple felony charges in indictment
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On Friday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene announced that a yearlong investigation by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force has led to the indictment of three women who allegedly operated illicit massage parlors.
The indictment, issued Thursday by a Mahoning County grand jury, names Aixin Cheng of Virginia; Jinzhi Gong of Illinois; and Man Ryung Yeo of Flushing, New York.
The three are charged with multiple felonies, including:
- Engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity (F1)
- Conspiracy (F2)
- Money laundering (F3)
- Promoting prostitution (F4)
- Possession of criminal tools (F5)
The women also are charged with solicitation, a third-degree misdemeanor.
The task force’s investigation connected the three to massage parlors in two townships – Beaver and Springfield – where sexual services were offered in exchange for money, according to officials.
Detectives executed seven search warrants at the parlors and at hotel rooms rented by the trio, establishing that the women funneled large amounts of cash through various bank accounts.
The Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force is organized under Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission and led by the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office.
The task force includes representatives from the Austintown Police Department, Youngstown Police Department, Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Ohio Investigative Unit, East Palestine Police Department, Adult Parole Authority, Salem Police Department and Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office.
Assisting with the investigation were the Beaver Township Police Department, Springfield Township Police Department, Poland Village Police Department, Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
Indictments are criminal allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proved guilty in a court of law.