Staff photo / Ed Runyan Defense attorney Nancy Liang shows Furong Li, who was attending her plea hearing Tuesday on a video hookup from the Mahoning County jail, the plea agreement in Li’s case. At left is Special Prosecutor Linda Powers of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and defense attorney Peter Wolf. Li pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor sex charge related to a raid the 3C Foot Spa in Hubbard.

WARREN — Furong Li, 56, who is in the Mahoning County jail on a hold by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to a misdemeanor charge of soliciting for human trafficking at the 3C Foot Spa in Hubbard.

Li has an address in Flushing, N.Y., according to court documents.

Her plea hearing took place over a video hookup because authorities said she could not be transported to the Trumbull County Courthouse for the hearing.

The arrangement involved an interpreter aiding in the communications between Li and the English speakers in the courtroom, including Judge Ronald Rice, one of Li’s attorneys and Special Prosecutor Linda Powers of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

Rice advised the parties when the hearing began that he does not like holding such hearings over video hookups. And the translation problems almost caused Rice to cancel the hearing at one point and set it for an in-person hearing at a later date.

At another point, when Rice asked if Li had read the plea agreement, one of Li’s attorneys held the document up to the camera so that Li could see it. She agreed that she had looked at it with her attorneys earlier.

“It is a misdemeanor of the third degree,” Rice said of the soliciting charge, giving the interpreter time to relay that information to Li.

“Understand,” the interpreter replied in response to Li’s answer.

Then Rice read the elements of the soliciting charge — that Li “did knowingly solicit another to engage in sexual activity for hire in exchange for something of value.”

Li agreed that she understood the elements of the crime but only after one of Li’s attorneys, Nancy Liang, spoke in Li’s language and explained it to her further.

Rice explained that Li is facing the possibility of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine when she is sentenced March 3.

Rice asked if she understood that she would be forfeiting the cash that was seized during the investigation of the business. Li said she understood but wanted a cellphone back that investigators seized.

Powers told Rice that investigators seized $5,864, a Mac Book computer and two cellphones. But after Li asked if she could have a copy of “medical history” documents and photos of relatives in her phone. Powers agreed that would be OK.

Rice asked Li if she understood that “part of your plea agreement is that you cooperate with the State of Ohio in their other prosecutions.” She said she understood. Then she pleaded guilty to the charge, but only after giving an inadequate plea the first time.

“Yes I plea,” the interpreter said.

“Well that doesn’t cut it,” Rice said. “You have to say I plead guilty or I do not want to change my plea. It’s one of those two.”

“Yes, I guilty,” the interpreter said, then “Guilty” when Rice questioned her a little further.

THE RAID

Li, who ran the 3C Foot Spa, was arrested in February 2025 after police raided the business. The building is owned by Trumbull County Commissioner Rick Hernandez. It was the second raid there, with the first one happening in August 2024.

Hubbard police worked with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force on the operation. They found signs of people being forced into sex work for money, police said.

The investigation began in February 2023 after local police said they spotted clues of sex trafficking in the building. The task force took Hernandez’s phone July 10 as part of the probe. Hernandez said his phone was given back within an hour.

No details were provided on why or how the phones might be connected to the case. Hernandez has not been charged with any crimes.

The Li plea was the last hearing of the day for Rice. Hearings began about 2 1/2 hours earlier.

OTHER CASE

Among the other cases he heard was the the arraignment of Brian C. Christensen, 43, of Beaver Avenue in Niles, on more than a dozen child sex charges. His attorney entered a not-guilty plea to the charges. Christensen was indicted last week on five counts of rape, two counts of attempted rape and six counts of gross sexual imposition, all with sexually violent predator specifications, and two additional counts of gross sexual imposition.

Rice continued Christensen’s $500,000 bond after hearing from Assistant Trumbull County Prosecutor Gabe Wildman, who said Christensen’s alleged victims are minor children.

If Christensen is convicted, he could get more than 50 years in prison.

Christensen has been in the Trumbull County jail since Oct. 27, 2025, according to jail records. The Niles Police Department was the agency that arrested Christensen in October, according to jail records.