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Warren prostitution sting nets 10 arrests, including coach, attorney
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Saying prostitution is not a “victimless crime,” the Warren Police Department, Ohio Attorney General’s office and other officials took another swing at knocking down Warren prostitution Wednesday, arresting 10 “johns” in an online sting operation.
One was the coach of the Austintown Fitch High School girls bowling team. Another was a Canfield attorney. The others came from as far away as Cadiz, 80 miles to the south.
Agents with the attorney general’s office, Warren police and other agencies posed as prostitutes on social media starting around noon Wednesday, “chatted” with potential customers and invited them to a Warren motel.
It produced a large number of responses from men who arranged meetings for sex and were immediately taken into custody, charged with misdemeanor soliciting for sex.
All were booked into the Trumbull County jail and released an hour or so later, and all pleaded not guilty Thursday morning in Warren Municipal Court. All were released on a personal-recognizance bond, meaning they didn’t have to pay anything.
Atty. Robert J. Rohrbaugh, 44, of Canfield, one of the 10, provided a written not guilty plea and didn’t have to make a personal appearance.
“Undercover operations like this are important to shed light on the continued demand in the sex trade,” said Attorney General Mike DeWine. “We want would-be buyers of sex to remember that they are never sure who they are speaking to online.”
Warren Law Director Greg Hicks said officials provided the photos of the 10 “johns” and encouraged the news media to publish them to make an impression on the community that engaging in prostitution has consequences.
Hicks said the sting worked to a degree where law enforcement had multiple “johns” showing up at the same time, requiring agents to manage the flow of customers much like air-traffic controllers manage aircraft.
“We had some circling while we had others landing,” Hicks said.
One reason officials take it seriously is because prostitution is tied to opiate abuse and human trafficking, Hicks said.
“The majority of prostitutes are using opiates,” Hicks said. Additionally, pimps frequently use opiates as a way to get women to engage in prostitution.
The Warren Police Department also conducted an undercover operation in August along North Park Avenue, arresting several prostitutes, and raided a home on Kenilworth Avenue Southeast in September after a woman complained of drugs, prostitution and human trafficking there. The homeowner was arrested and his home was boarded up.
In addition to the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation Crimes Against Children Unit and Warren Police Department, Wednesday’s operation also was carried out by the Austintown Police Department, Adult Parole Authority, Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol.
“This operation was just one example of our ongoing efforts to work with various agencies to combat human trafficking in Warren,” Hicks said.
Austintown schools Superintendent Vince Colaluca issued a statement shortly after the names of the suspects appeared in news reports, saying the girl’s bowling coach, Todd J. Lindberg, 52, of Austintown, had been suspended from his coaching duties as a result of the charge. He is not a district teacher, the school district said.
“Our top priority is the safety of the young ladies on the team,” Colaluca said. “As soon as we received information of the arrest last evening, we immediately placed the coach on suspension.
“This arrest is not affiliated with the Austintown schools in any way, and the safety of our student athletes was not compromised at any time. The administration at Fitch will be communicating with our bowling student-athletes and parents this afternoon.”
All coaches in the Austintown Schools are required to complete a state and federal background check and be drug screened, the statement said. Lindberg underwent such a background check and drug screen upon hiring, the school district said.
Lindberg, like the others, pleaded not guilty to the first-degree misdemeanor.
The eight others are Sergio Galazia, 29, of Lowellville; Brian Glunt, 46, of Champion; Brian Kerr, 45, of Cadiz; Jason Miodrag, 36, of Greenville, Pa.; Michael Morton, 39, of Niles; Cean W. Nelson, 39, of Akron; Larry Pasquarello, 35, of Hubbard; and Gerald Rodriguez, 37, of Masury.
Contributor: Staff writer Billy Ludt