4 Charged After Prostitution Sting In Solon

SOLON, OH — A prostitution and human trafficking sting resulted in five people being taken into custody in Solon this month, police announced. Four people have been accused of prostitution and a fifth has been charged with possession of drugs.

On August 20, Solon police and members of the Cuyahoga County Human Trafficking Task Force conducted a raid at the Towneplace Suites on Enterprise Parkways. According to investigators, several women posted sexually explicit ads on escort websites and were planning on meeting in Solon.

Before the women arrived at the hotel, they spoke with undercover police officers and agreed to have sex for money, police said. When the women got to the hotel, officers would confirm the price and the sex act that was to be performed. Officers would then come into the hotel room and take the woman into custody, police said.

When police tried to take one of the women into custody, a 30-year-old from Cleveland, she took a plastic baggie from her bra and swallowed it, according to Solon police. The woman then fought with officers as they tried to take her into custody, police added.

During the operation, officers saw a car drop-off one of the women and then pull onto the road. Law enforcement stopped the car and spoke with the driver, a 42-year-old Florida man. Police said the man had marijuana, condoms, cash and a suspended driver's license. He was also taken into custody.