SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a story published on August 31, 2020.
On Thursday, the Summit County Sheriff's Office, the Akron Police Department, the Portage County Sheriff's Office, the Summit County Proscecutor's Office, and the Summit County Human Trafficking Force announced the arrest of 17 individuals in a sexual solicitation operation.
The group of law enforcement agencies recently began an investigation into human trafficking within the area, and made contact with several human trafficking victims during the investigation.
The following individuals were arrested and charged for taking part in an online ad offering sexual services in exchange for money.
- Michael Magoline, 53, Akron, (Soliciting)
- Matthew Beachy, 37, Shreve, OH, (Soliciting)
- Carlos Carabello, 37, Brunswick, OH, (Soliciting)
- Daniel Manweiler, 54, Fairlawn, OH, (Soliciting)
- Domingo Fontanez Jr., 42, Akron, OH, (Soliciting)
- Raymond Ryland, 62, Wadsworth, OH, (Soliciting)
- Ken Swope, 56, Akron, OH, (Soliciting)
- Ronald Kaiser, 52, Warren, OH, (Soliciting)
- Benny Brown, 54, Newtown Falls, OH, (Soliciting)
- Amanda Blanc, 38, Canton, OH, (Soliciting)
- Domonique Powell, 38, Akron, OH, (Soliciting)
- Timothy Durham, 25, Akron, OH, (Possession of Drugs, Soliciting)
- James McCarroll, 41, Ravenna, OH, (Resisting Arrest, Soliciting)
- Rayshawn Hill, 29, Akron, OH, (Failure to Comply, Domestic Violence)
- Carl Walker, 39, Cleveland, OH, (Receiving Stolen Property)
- Seth Mellie, 33, Canton, OH (Promoting Prostitution)
- Doyle Smith, 41, Lexington, KY, (Solicting)
The Summit County Sheriff's Office says that further arrests and charges are pending the investigation as well as the results of drug tests.
“To the all the men and women who responded to the sexual service advertisements and were not apprehended during this operation, we know who you are," the Summit County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
All human trafficking victims located on the scene were offered services from the Rape Crisis Center of Medina and Summit Counties.