Six people sentenced in Mahoning Valley human trafficking case
WARREN — Six people have been sentenced for their roles in a Mahoning Valley human trafficking sex ring, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene announced today.
“This group ran a cash-for-sex operation behind the façade of a massage parlor and tried to wire their illicit profits out of state,” Yost said. “Under the leadership of Sheriff Greene, our task force conducted a meticulous investigation, tracing funds and seizing key evidence to build an airtight case. Great work by our investigative and legal teams.”
The defendants, who entered guilty pleas in February, received the maximum sentences and fines, with their prison terms suspended if they pay the fines in the next 12 months. They were sentenced as follows:
Tae Suk Hwang, aka “Jeannie,” 63, of Saginaw, Michigan: 68 months in prison (suspended) and $31,000 fine.
Young Sug Kim, aka “Young Crazy,” 62, of New Waterford, Ohio: 66 months in prison (suspended) and $17,500 fine. She also faces deportation.
Charles McGill, 69, of Warren, Ohio: 130 months in prison (suspended) and $35,000 fine.
Sunny Oh, 68, of Palisades Park, New Jersey: 84 months in prison (suspended) and $27,500 fine.
Miock Dong Schaffer, aka “Cookie,” 57, of Norwalk, Ohio: 72 months in prison (suspended) and $17,500 fine.
Young Hee Yoon, 57, of Warren, Ohio: 144 months in prison (suspended) and $37,500 fine. She also faces deportation.
Additionally, through plea agreements, these defendants will forfeit more than $332,000 in seized funds.
The group operated a human trafficking ring that forced women into prostitution at two illicit massage parlors in Warren: the Tiger Spa and Sunny Spa. Indictments filed last year accused the defendants of confining women at the establishments, forcing them to live on the premises and perform sex acts for money.
The charges stemmed from an investigation by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, formed under Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC) and led by the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office. In March 2023, the task force and partnering agencies executed search warrants at the businesses as part of “Operation Saving Daylight,” a coordinated crackdown during which investigators seized large amounts of cash, financial assets and business records.
Two additional defendants, Dong Melidong and Chang Hwang, will be sentenced on April 9. Cases against other defendants remain pending.
Yost’s Special Prosecutions Section prosecuted the cases in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.