Lorain massage parlor raided by Human Trafficking task forces

LORAIN — A Lorain massage parlor was shut down Wednesday as part of a larger human trafficking operation by the state's task force. Members of the Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force and other law enforcement agencies raided Relax Massage, 4000 Oberlin Ave., on Wednesday. Detectives seized financial records, cash and other documents, according to a news release from the state Attorney General's Office. "Today's enforcement actions weren't about legitimate massage therapy," Lorain County Sheriff Jack Hall said in the news release. "These were criminal enterprises exploiting women under the guise of wellness services. Our job is to protect the vulnerable and uphold the law, and that's exactly what we did." Three other parlors in Cuyahoga County were targeted Wednesday as well: Green Spa, 4954 Great Northern Mall, North Olmsted; Healing Hanos, 14775 Pearl Road, Strongsville; and Savor Massage, 14403 Pearl Road, Strongsville. The raids were a result of a Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office investigation, Lorain County Sheriff's Office Investigator Scott Moran said. Moran is a former Cleveland police officer, narcotics detective and human trafficking expert. Moran said at this point there are no charges pending against individuals tied to the four parlors, but it is suspected the women working there were victims of trafficking. The woman officers encountered at the Lorain parlor lived in the county, he said. She was not taken into custody or charged on Wednesday, Moran said. He said there are suspected ties between the four parlors that may become apparent as officers investigate further. Any forthcoming charges would be through Cuyahoga County, he said. "Sometimes the hard work is after the search warrant (is served)," Moran said, noting documents and financial statements, as well as cellphones recovered will be examined. The sheriff's office secured the shop in Lorain, and suspects code violations from the city's building department may be forthcoming as well. "Massage parlors that advertise their services as therapy but, in reality, are just illicit fronts for selling sex are hotbeds of criminal activity hidden in plain view among legitimate businesses," Attorney General Dave Yost said in the news release. "Our task forces are cracking down on these unlawful and oppressive pursuits, reinforcing our message: Don't buy sex in Ohio!" Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.