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Eight men caught in Trumbull sex sting

Phillip Salus

WARREN — Eight men were charged in a sex sting conducted in Trumbull County.

The sex sting arrests were announced Thursday by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and the Warren Police Chief Eric Merkel. The operation is aimed at reducing the demand for sex trafficking.

The men reportedly responded to online advertisements placed by law enforcement, exchanged messages with an undercover officer and arrived in a location in Warren expecting to meet a prostitute. One of the suspects allegedly attempted to recruit an undercover officer into the sex trade.

Two men were charged with felonies — Lamont Davis, 20, Warren, charged with promoting prostitution, a fourth-degree felony, and possession of criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony, after Davis allegedly tried to recruit the officer to work with him in the sex trade; and Joseph Tennant, 44, Youngstown, charged with promoting prostitution, a fourth-degree felony, possession of criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony, and a misdemeanor solicitation charge for attempting to purchase sex for himself and for a friend.

Six men were charged with misdemeanor charges — Phillip Salus, 68, Girard, Dain Bancroft, 55, Mineral Ridge, Patrick Cassidy, 54, Hubbard, Donald Lingenfelter, 48, Sharon, Pa., and Bryan Calai, 35, Warren, all for solicitation and criminal tools; and Jay Barbe, 55, West Farmington, solicitation;

The investigation was a joint operation of the Warren Police Department and the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, which is a part of DeWine’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission.

djohnson@mojonews.com

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