Task Force Successes Keep Pressure on Human Traffickers During Holidays

(YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio) - Human traffickers better watch out this holiday season because the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force is delivering justice, with several investigations having recently led to criminal charges and penalties.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene today credited the task force for the recent convictions and sentences of two people and new charges brought against three others.

"Sex traffickers don't take a holiday break, and neither do our task forces," Yost said. "Year-round, our agents work 24/7, applying constant pressure to both the demand and supply sides of human trafficking. Don't buy sex in Ohio."

Task-force investigations resulted in these convictions and sentences:

• On Nov. 22, Cleveland resident Anthony Davila, 47, was sentenced to six years in prison and, upon release, will be required to register as a Tier II sex offender. Davila pleaded guilty to one count of attempted compelling prostitution, one count of attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and four counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor. In January 2024, Davila agreed to pay for sex with a fictitious 15-year-old girl during a sting. After obtaining a search warrant, investigators found child-sexual-abuse material on Davila's phone.
• On Dec. 3, Yuli Guo, 49, of China, was found guilty of soliciting and sentenced to 60 days in jail, suspended; $650 in court fines and costs; and one year of probation. Guo was employed by the Elegant Foot Spa on Belmont Avenue in Youngstown, which had advertised massages on an escort website. During an investigation, Guo tried to sell sex to an undercover agent. A search warrant at the business found condoms and a large amount of cash.

Beyond the courtroom, the task force recently charged three men during investigations and undercover operations.

• On Nov. 20, J. Wilson Peake, 63, of Youngstown, was charged with engaging in prostitution and possession of criminal tools after he allegedly responded to an advertisement posted by undercover agents and agreed to pay for sex.
• On Nov. 22, Pete Kramer, 48, of Canfield, was charged with engaging in prostitution and possession of criminal tools after he allegedly agreed to pay for sex.
• On Nov. 27, James Lemmon, 41, of Mingo Junction, was charged with engaging in prostitution, possession of criminal tools, drug trafficking and attempted tampering with evidence.

The Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force is organized under Yost's Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission and led by the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office. The task force includes representatives from the Austintown Police Department, Youngstown Police Department, Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Ohio Investigative Unit, East Palestine Police Department, Adult Parole Authority, Salem Police Department and Columbiana County Sheriff's Office.

Defendants are presumed innocent unless proved guilty in a court of law.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Dominic Binkley: 614-728-4127

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