Ohio human trafficking sting leads to arrest of 10 men, including a teacher and sex offender
NORTH OLMSTED, OHIO: A human trafficking sting operation in Northeastern Ohio led to the arrest of 10 men on Thursday, May 11. The Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force apprehended the men, with ages ranging from 30 to 55, including a superintendent, teacher, and registered sex offender. The sting was a one-day affair in North Olmsted, about 20 miles southwest of Cleveland.
The Westshore Enforcement Bureau and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force joined hands with the North Olmsted Police Department and successfully brought down the men and arrested them on sex charges, Fox News reports. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost confirmed the successful sting in a statement Friday, May 12. “Yesterday was a banner day for the task force,” he said. “Their commitment to wiping out the scourge of human trafficking is making a difference in the lives of the victims and having a big impact on the region,” Yost added.
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Who are the 10 men arrested during the sting?
Among those arrested in the Northeast Ohio human trafficking sting was Errol Jackson, a 35-year-old third-tier sex offender, who was arrested for promoting prostitution. He is expected to have additional charges and is currently being held in the Cuyahoga County jail, 10 WBNS reports. Another person arrested on the sting was Jeffrey Ohl, a 53-year-old middle school teacher at Keystone Local Schools, according to 19 News.
Dan White, the superintendent of the school district issued a statement following Ohl’s arrest and confirmed that he was suspended from his role as an educator with immediate effect. “Jeffrey Ohl was arrested and charged with engaging in prostitution, per a statement from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost,” White told the publication. “As soon as we were made aware of the situation, Ohl was immediately suspended and barred from District property,” he continued. “We are cooperating with law enforcement. Legally, we are not able to comment on ongoing police investigations,” White added.
Meanwhile, Dan Keenan Jr, the 53-year-old former superintendent for Westlake City Schools, was also arrested in the sting. Keenan also served as a wrestling coach at Lee Burneson Middle School from 2015 to 2022, 19 News reported. He was also identified as the executive director of Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports students and teachers in Cleveland, a spokesperson from the Ohio attorney general's office told Crain's Cleveland Business. An official from Westlake City Schools confirmed that Keenan was no longer involved with the district after his arrest.
Seven men arrested in the case sting were identified as Ahmed Aljabri, 41, Sha Chuwan, 32, William Minor, 52, Erwin Palma-Torres, 30, Jacob Safran, 32, Raymond Schillinger, 53, and Carl Whepley Jr, 55. All of the men involved in the sting were arrested and charged with engaging in prostitution, a first-degree misdemeanor.
10 men arrested in North Olmsted in human trafficking sting.
— Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (@OhioAG) May 12, 2023
“Yesterday was a banner day for the task force,” AG Yost said. “Their commitment to wiping out the scourge of human trafficking is making a difference in the lives of the victims and having a big impact on the region.” pic.twitter.com/3h322Ha45m
‘These activities are an every city problem’
In the wake of the sting, the North Olmsted Police Department took to Facebook to say that while their operation was successful in the city, human trafficking is a national issue. “Activities like these are not a North Olmsted problem. These activities are an every city problem,” the department wrote. “You may think it's not happening in your community but you can see by the addresses of the people arrested, they will travel to find what they are looking for at hotels in our communities,” the post continued.
Officials also confirmed that seven potential victims were identified in the human trafficking sting. All victims were reportedly provided with care and resources from the Canopy Child Advocacy Center, Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, and the Harriett Tubman Movement.