Staff report

WARREN — Four suspects tied to an alleged multi-state human trafficking ring operating through Warren massage parlors were arraigned Thursday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court, where authorities revealed new details about the case that spans five years and involves eight defendants.

Each defendant appeared before Judge Ronald Rice.

Young Hee Yoon, 55, of Warren, is charged with two counts of promoting prostitution. Through a Korean interpreter, Yoon stated she is married to a U.S. citizen and is reapplying for residency documents.

Rice set bond at $50,000 cash surety, ordered her jailed until surrendering her Korean passport and barred her from entering any massage parlor. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be notified of her case.

Three others were arraigned, including:

• Chang Mi Hwang, 59, of Duluth, Georgia, one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and three counts of promoting prostitution.

• Kum Cha Shugars, 75, of Dallas, Texas, one count each of corrupt activity and promoting prostitution.

• Dong Meliodon, 62, of Duluth, Georgia, one count of corrupt activity, six counts of promoting prostitution and 34 counts of money laundering — the most severe charges among those arraigned.

All four face a June 5 hearing before Rice.

The eight defendants, including four not yet arraigned, are accused of running a crime ring that trapped Korean women at Warren’s Tiger Spa and Sunny Spa on West Market Street, forcing them to perform sexual acts and live on-site for months at a time, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene.

The Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force executed March 2023 search warrants at both spas under “Operation Saving Daylight,” seizing cash, financial records, and other evidence. Tiger Spa has since closed; Sunny Spa was searched again last week.

The four unarraigned suspects face charges including:

• Tae Suk Hwang, 62, of Michigan: 74 counts (trafficking, money laundering).

• Suk Hui Starr, 64, of Texas: 15 counts.

• Miock Dong Schaffer, 56, of Norwalk: 11 counts.

• Young Sug Kim, 61, of New Waterford: 1 count of corrupt activity.

Yost’s Special Prosecutions Section is handling the case, which involves 83 felony charges across multiple states.

Authorities urge potential victims or witnesses to contact Ohio’s human trafficking hotline: 844-END-OHHT.