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On Thursday, May 11, 2023, a human trafficking sting operation in Ohio’s North Olmstead led to the arrest of ten men. The operation was conducted by the Westshore Enforcement Bureau, North Olmstead Police Department, and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The purpose of the sting operation was “to identify those providing and purchasing commercial s*x.”
Trigger warning: The article contains references to r*pe and human trafficking. Readers’ discretion is advised.
The Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force arrested the ten men. According to the Ohio Attorney General, authorities have discovered around seven potential victims during the sting operation.
One of the suspects arrested include a former Westlake City Schools' superintendent named Dan Keenan Jr. He reportedly was also a wrestling coach at Lee Burneson Middle School from 2015 to 2018, after which he worked as an assistant coach from 2020 to 2021 and again from 2021 to 2022.
Ten men were arrested after being busted in a human trafficking sting operation in Ohio
On Thursday, Ohio law enforcement officials took ten men into custody after a one-day human trafficking sting operation. On the same day, 35-year-old Errol Jackson, a registered Tier III s*x offender, was also arrested. According to the Ohio attorney general’s office, Jackson was taken into custody for the promotion of prostitution. It is further mentioned that additional charges might be pressed and that he is being held in the Cuyahoga County Jail.
The other nine men arrested in the North Olmstead sting operation are -year-old Ahmed Aljabri (41), Sha Chuwan (32), Dan Keenan Jr. (53), William Minor (52), Jeffrey Ohl (53), Erwin Palma (30), Jacob Safran (32), Carl Whepley Jr. (52), and Raymond Schillinger (53).
As mentioned ealier, authorities revealed that Keenan was working as the superintendent for Westlake City Schools. Following the arrests, Westlake School officials confirmed that Dan Keenan Jr. isn’t anyway associated with the school district anymore. Another suspect Jeffrey Ohl has been identified as a middle school teacher at Keystone Local Schools. Superintendent Dan White issued a statement regarding the incident and said:
“Jeffrey Ohl was arrested and charged with engaging in prostitution, per a statement from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. As soon as we were made aware of the situation, Ohl was immediately suspended and barred from District property. We are cooperating with law enforcement. Legally, we are not able to comment on ongoing police investigations.”
Commenting on the recent arrest of the criminals, the North Olmstead Chief of Police, Bob Wagner, said:
“The North Olmstead Police Department will not tolerate this type of activity in our city.”
Wagner further stated that the department is trying to investigate and prosecute the suspects involved in the tragic incident. Additionally, he has extended gratitude to all the other law enforcement agencies that have assisted in the sting operation.
Meanwhile, Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of the Detroit office of Homeland Security Investigations stated:
“This is a great example of what can be accomplished when federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies work in collaboration to dismantle human trafficking operations. The cooperation not only allows us to apprehend the perpetrators but also identify the victims and provide them with services and support.”
Law enforcement identified possible victims after the sting operation took place
The sting operation was conducted on the same day that Steven Gilbert was sentenced to life imprisonment after he was convicted of multiple s*xual assault and human trafficking charges. Authorities arrested Steven Gilbert in November 2021, following which prosecutors claimed that he “physically and psychologically abused” at least nine women. He also r*pe, beat, and drugged the victims. As such, Gilbert will be eligible for parole after serving 172½ to 182½ years in prison.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost addressed Gilbert’s sentencing in a statement, saying:
“Yesterday was a banner day for the task force. 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.”
On the other hand, North Olmstead Police Department took to Facebook to shed light on the gravity of the incident:
“Activities like these are not a North Olmsted problem. These activities are an every city problem. 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.”
Authorities identified the seven possible victims in the North Olmstead sting operation through organizations like the Canopy Child Advocacy Center, Cleveland R*pe Crisis Center, and the Harriet Tubman Movement. The case is a developing story and is under investigation. Moreover, it was revealed that among the ten people, police have also captured an illegal immigrant.
According to the US Department of State, around 49.6 million people became victims of human trafficking in 2021. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) stated that human trafficking and migrant smuggling have become a worldwide and global problem.
