Westlake Police conducted a joint human trafficking operation at a local hotel with the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office, the Department of Homeland Security, the Westshore Enforcement Bureau, and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutors Office on Wednesday here.
A Painesville woman, an East Cleveland man and three Cleveland women were arrested.
Arrested were Mariah Williams, 21, of Painesville for soliciting; Deandra Harris, 21, of Cleveland, for obstructing official business; Dyanna McCully, 18, of Cleveland, for obstructing official business; Amelia Brummitt, 24, of Cleveland, for soliciting drug abuse and resisting arrest; and Robert Watson, 55, of East Cleveland, for promoting prostitution.
In addition, four other people were identified at the scene, according to Westlake Police Capt. Guy Turner, and will receive a summons in the mail. They are a Cleveland woman, 21, for soliciting; a another Cleveland woman, 25, for prostitution; a Painesville woman, 29, for prostitution; and an Elyria man, 26, for soliciting.
Turner says that all of them were contacted through ads they had placed on the internet at Backpages.com and negotiated a price for sexual activity. Turner added that none of them were found to be involved in these incidents against their will and were willing participants.
