The charges
Area arrestees include:
• Jose Abadsantos, 46, of Springboro, charged with a misdemeanor count of soliciting in Kettering Municipal Court
• Benyam Ambaye, 42, of Vandalia, charged with a misdemeanor count of soliciting in Vandalia Municipal Court
• Kenton Burroughs, 32, of Liberty Twp., charged with a misdemeanor count of soliciting in Kettering Municipal Court
• Kirven Jackson, 62, of Dayton, charged with a misdemeanor count of soliciting in Vandalia Municipal Court
• Kevin McKee, 42, of Dayton, charged with a felony count of trafficking in drugs in Montgomery County
• James Vogel, 40, of St. Mary’s, charged with a misdemeanor count of soliciting in Kettering Municipal Court
• Stephen Taylor, 21, of Dayton, charged with a misdemeanor count of soliciting in Kettering Municipal Court
• Nicholas Walz, 31, of Cincinnati, charged with a misdemeanor count of soliciting in Vandalia Municipal Court
• Jasson L. Zavala, 24, of Dayton, charged with a misdemeanor count of soliciting in Vandalia Municipal Court
Of those, Kirven Jackson and Nicholas Walz each pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 60 days in jail, with 57 of those days suspended on the conditions of having no criminal offenses within a year and staying off the property of Benchwood Station for two years.
Benchwood Station is an area of restaurants, stores and hotels along Miller Lane and Benchwood Road near Interstate 75 in Butler Twp.
In addition to soliciting charges, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office said that KcKee and Taylor allegedly both tried to sell fentanyl to undercover officers, and that Walz had psilocybin mushrooms when he was arrested.
The teacher
Kirven Jackson identified himself as a substitute teacher in the Trotwood Madison School District. In a statement, Trotwood-Madison superintendent Marlon A. Howard confirmed Jackson was a substitute at their middle school, and said that “The moment we learned of this situation,” Jackson was fired and banned from all district property.
Howard said they have no information that any student or staff member at the school was impacted by the arrest. He added that Jackson passed a thorough vetting process before he was hired, and the district was launching an internal investigation.
Jackson has an active one-year educational aide permit for Trotwood-Madison schools, as well as a one-year general substitute teaching license, according to Ohio’s State Board of Education.
The former officer
Wapakoneta Police Chief Calvin Schneider confirmed Vogel was an officer with the department for six years from April 2006 to October 2012. He said that though he was not a supervisor during that time, he could not recall any disciplinary issues with Vogel.
The chief said Vogel left the department on good terms, and added “we are all shocked at the report.”
The investigation
These arrests were part of a statewide effort called “Operation Next Door.” According to Ohio Attorney Dave Yost, the operation included more than 100 law enforcement agencies and arrested 135 people. The vast majority of arrests were “johns,” or people trying to buy sex.
In our area, the investigation was led by the Miami Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, composed of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Oakwood Police Department, Butler Twp. Police Department, Dayton Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations and the Adult Parole Authority.
Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said in a statement, “Human trafficking will not be tolerated in our community. This statewide operation is an important step in identifying victims and holding perpetrators accountable. We remain committed to preventing this crime, supporting survivors, and ensuring justice for those affected.”
Attorney General Yost said, “Operation Next Door was named to highlight the proximity and prevalence of human trafficking. Too often, we are lulled into the false narrative that these crimes happen only in the shadows. This is simply not true – human trafficking occurs in plain sight and, unfortunately, may even be fueled by your co-workers or neighbors.”
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