Sex Trafficking, Prostitution Charges In HoCo Apartment Filed Against Frederick Man

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A Frederick man has been charged with human trafficking after an investigation revealed he was operating a prostitution business out of an apartment in Columbia. Sang Kook Shin, 47, of Fingerboard Road has been charged with sex trafficking and prostitution offenses. He is being held without bond at the Howard County Detention Center.

Police began investigating possible prostitution activity at an apartment on Early April Way in Columbia in December 2021, according to a police report. Detectives identified Shin as the suspect and determined he had rented the apartment that the prostitution business was operating from.

According to the police department, police recovered evidence at the Early April Way address and at Shin’s residence in Frederick, including more than $10,000 in cash; a firearm and ammunition; multiple cell phones; ledgers and bank statements; and multiple computer hard drives and USB flash drives. During the investigation, detectives located one trafficking victim and offered her referrals to victim services.