ABC 6 | Sarah Wynn
On Friday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Scioto County Prosecutor Shane Tieman announced the indictment of Portsmouth attorney Michael Mearan on 18 felony counts related to human trafficking spanning 15 years.
Mearan, 74, faces more than 70 years in prison if convicted. Authorities say the charges stem from criminal activity in southern Ohio that occurred from 2003 to 2018 and involved six victims. The charges include:
- One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity (F1)
- Three counts of trafficking in persons (F1)
- Five counts of compelling prostitution (F3)
- Nine counts of promoting prostitution (F4)