On Tuesday, Stark County Sheriff Eric Weisburn said a brand-new human trafficking task force has already notched its first bust, arresting two men who allegedly tried to meet who they believed was a minor for illegal sexual activity. Officials described the sting as a joint operation with federal and local partners and said the arrests took potentially dangerous individuals off the street. One suspect suffered a non life threatening gunshot wound during the arrest, received treatment at a local hospital and was later booked into the Stark County Jail.
In a press release posted on the Stark County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, the department said the Stark County Human Trafficking Task Force, created by Sheriff Weisburn and Jackson Township Police Chief Mark Brink, ran the operation with help from the FBI, the Jackson Township Police Department and the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office. The sheriff’s office described the arrests as the task force’s first operation and noted that additional investigations are underway. The full statement is available on the Stark County Sheriff’s Office page.
Task Force, Partners and State Support
According to the sheriff’s post, the new unit is tasked with targeting both sex and labor trafficking, identifying offenders, protecting vulnerable residents and holding traffickers accountable. That local effort fits into the broader approach Ohio uses to build regional, multi agency trafficking units. The Ohio Attorney General’s Organized Crime Investigations Commission has helped launch similar task forces around the state, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s office. The sheriff’s release included a statement from Attorney General Dave Yost thanking Stark County leaders for expanding the statewide response.
Arrests and Charges
The sheriff’s Facebook release identified the two suspects as 30 year old Darien J. Carpenter and 42 year old Stephen A. James. According to the post, Carpenter was charged with importuning and attempt to commit unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and both men were charged with possessing criminal tools. The release also noted that Carpenter has prior convictions that include aggravated burglary, felonious assault and aggravated robbery with firearm specifications…