Eight NE Ohio men arrested in NBA All-Star Weekend sting plead not guilty to soliciting
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Eight men pleaded not guilty Friday in Berea Municipal Court to charges of soliciting prostitution during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend festivities.
The arrests came as part of an anti-human trafficking operation called, Operation Fouled Out, which was led by the Cuyahoga Regional Human Trafficking Task Force, according to a news release from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office.
According to court records, the eight men arrested were:
- Brian Barlock, 45, Columbia Station
- Bryan Fathauer, 51, Berea
- Benny Gonzalez, 25, Lorain
- George Keaton, 43, Broadview Heights
- David O’Boyle, 49, Brookpark
- Dana Parnell, 48, Mayfield Heights
- Brandon Ruyten, 49, Rootstown
- Michael James Smith, 48, Cuyahoga Falls
Three of the eight appeared in court for Friday’s arraignment, while the other five had their lawyers enter a not guilty plea on their behalf
According to the release from the attorney general’s office, authorities tracked down 15 additional people reportedly selling sex and connected potential victims of human trafficking to healthcare and social services organizations.
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