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Prostitution case carries motel-forfeiture potential
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Canfield Police officers serve a warrant at the El Patio Motel in Canfield in order to search the premises for evidence of prostitution on Thursday afternoon.
Four others are facing misdemeanor charges in Canfield court.
staff report
YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County grand jury has indicted the owner of two Canfield motels on charges of promoting prostitution and conspiracy to promote prostitution with forfeiture specifications.
On Thursday, Arthur S. Klein, 67, of Akron-Canfield Road, Canfield, was indicted on the charges, which are fourth- and fifth-degree felonies, respectively.
Possible prison terms are six to 18 months for a fourth-degree felony and six to 12 months for a fifth-degree felony.
Each charge carries a specification that calls for the two motels, El Patio, at 485 W. Main St., and Canfield Colonial, at 7815 Akron-Canfield Road, to be subject to forfeiture due to the prostitution activity that allegedly occurred there.
Canfield police and county deputy sheriffs searched the motels April 16 to collect evidence in a two-month investigation. Four weeks earlier, undercover members of the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force gathered evidence.
Klein faces felony charges, and four other people face misdemeanor charges, to which they have pleaded innocent in Canfield court.
Melissa Mang, 23, and Mike Fayne, 27, both Canfield Colonial employees; and Patricia Jordan, 51, El Patio manager, are charged with procuring prostitution, a first-degree misdemeanor carrying up to six months in jail.
Mark Dean Sr., 45, an El Patio employee, is charged with soliciting prostitution, a third-degree misdemeanor carrying up to 60 days in jail.