Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Monday the completion of a weeklong statewide human trafficking crackdown, “Operation Buyer’s Remorse,” which sought to arrest those trying to buy sex and to identify survivors of human trafficking.

“Law enforcement across Ohio teamed up in a concerted effort to stem the demand that fuels human trafficking,” Yost said. “The success of this operation is measured not only by the number of arrests but also by the resources offered to survivors of human trafficking and the intelligence gathered that will propel long-term investigations forward.”

Operation Buyer’s Remorse occurred from Sept. 25 to Saturday in every corner of the state, including Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron, Youngstown, Marietta and Portsmouth.

The operation led to 160 arrests and was comprised of “stings” conducted by the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission’s eight human trafficking and major crimes task forces. Search warrants also were conducted at 11 massage parlors suspected of human trafficking as part of ongoing, long-term investigations.

MAHONING VALLEY

Jordan Perez, 35, of Masury, and Travis Swidzinski, 37, of Youngstown, were charged with possessing criminal tools and solicitation to patronize a prostitute. Others charged with various offenses are Robert Ashbaugh, 52, of New Castle, Pa.; Michael Bender, 41, of Warren; Patsy Bova, 59, of Diamond; Deshawn Evans, 26, of Austintown; Ralph Fabrizio, 48, of Hubbard; and Jonathan Waguespack, 21, of Poland. It’s not clear where all of their arrests took place.

Charges for Perez and Swidzinski were filed in Youngstown Municipal Court by a Youngstown police officer on Friday. Swidzinski is set for an arraignment Friday, and Perez was due for arraignment Monday but did not appear, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

The Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force arrested Perez, who brought a firearm to buy sex, but did not bring any money. He claimed he intended to pay for sexual services via a web app, according to a press release from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

The Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force consists of the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, BCI, Ohio Investigative Unit, Youngstown Police Department, East Palestine Police Department, Austintown Township Police Department, Salem Police Department, Warren Police Department, Cortland Police Department, Compass Rape Crisis and Counseling Center and the Beaver Township Police Department.

Over the course of the week, 149 “johns” seeking to buy sex were arrested and charged with engaging in prostitution. Additional arrests included two people for seeking to have sex with minors and six for promoting prostitution. Others were arrested for illegally possessing narcotics and/or firearms, or because there were outstanding warrants against them.

Those arrested included an emergency medical technician, nurses, educators, retirees, former law enforcement officers, self-employed individuals and delivery drivers. The youngest “john” arrested was 17, and the oldest was 84.

Law enforcement officers interviewed 104 survivors of human trafficking, who were provided services from health care and social service organizations.

“Nearly 100 law enforcement agencies and service organizations participated in this operation,” Yost said. “Our message is simple: Don’t buy sex in Ohio.”

OPERATION HIGHLIGHTS

Columbus Division of Police’s Police and Community Together unit made 62 arrests. Delbert Thomas, 75, of Columbus, was arrested twice on the same day. After his first arrest, Thomas sought to buy sex in a different area of Columbus and was arrested a second time. The PACT Unit also arrested Joseph Henry, 47, of Columbus, who is a registered sex offender.

The Toledo Police Department and U.S. Border Patrol served search warrants on five illicit massage parlors. The search led to the seizure of $25,000 and numerous electronic devices associated with the businesses. Kwi Hood, Ziaojing Yuan, Chunya Jiao, Junjuan Tao, Young Stone, and Xiaoyan Gou are all facing charges of promoting prostitution.

The Summit Regional Human Trafficking Task Force also served four search warrants on illicit massage parlors as part of ongoing investigations. Seven survivors of human trafficking were offered social services.