Prostitution sting nets two, including alleged pimp

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN

Township police made two arrests Tuesday in connection with a prostitution sting, including a man police said acted as a pimp.

Nicholas Shoemaker, 30, of Bloomfield faces a felony charge of promoting prostitution and Tiffany Uher, 30, of Orwell faces misdemeanor charges of soliciting and possessing criminal tools.

Police encountered the pair after responding to an ad on an online escort site that read, “Let Mercedes rev your engine,” according to a police report.

In a text conversation, police arranged a meeting at a motel on Seventy-Six Drive and agreed to pay $180 for an hour of her time.

Uher showed up at the meeting and identified herself as Mercedes, the report said.

When police identified themselves, Uher told them she had never engaged in prostitution before and did not intend to go through with the date.

Police sent a text message to the number listed in the advertisement, which Uher did not receive on the phone in her possession.

She told police she arranged the date with a woman named Kayla, who sent the texts, and Shoemaker, who was outside in the car.

Kayla and Shoemaker would receive a portion of the money, Uher told police.

Shoemaker told officers he thought he drove Uher to the motel to pick money up from her uncle and denied knowledge of the nature of the encounter.

He did admit to being in a Warren hotel room with Kayla and Uher while officers arranged the meeting, but told officers it must have occurred when he took a shower.

Shoemaker has a preliminary hearing scheduled May 30 in Austintown’s Mahoning County Area Court.