A large-scale federal and local multi-agency undercover sting involving the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children task force led to the arrest and indictment of nearly two dozen individuals who attempted to set up meetings with children to have sex.
Twenty-two people were arrested in connection with the operation. The sting, called Operation Memorial Dazed, was conducted over four days starting the Tuesday after Memorial Day. Authorities said the bust was one of the largest ICAC operations in the country and the largest in Ohio history.
The individuals who were charged, if convicted, would be required to register as a Tier 2 sex offenders for a period of 25 years.
Authorities posed as children online on various websites and across social media platforms and were contacted by the suspects who offered to meet up for sex. The suspects were arrested when they arrived at a residence in Newburgh Heights where authorities were using an undercover location for the meetup. The suspects were provided an address to the residence by agents posing as children. When the men arrived they were identified and taken into custody.
The indictments included:
- 1 count of attempted rape
- 1 count of resisting arrest
- 1 count of compelling prostitution
- 21 counts of attempted unlawful conduct with a minor
- 22 counts of importuning
- 22 counts of possessing criminal tools
- 5 counts of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles
- 1 count of attempting to corrupt another with drugs
Three of those who were arrested and later indicted are registered sex offenders. They include:
- Scott Turner Sr. 48, of Cleveland
- David Dinard, 30, of Cleveland
- Nicholas Robinson, 39, of Cleveland
The others who were arrested and charged include:
- Philip Oliveira, 26, Cleveland, OH
- Nanda Poudel, 27, Parma Heights, OH
- Gary Koepke, 65, Cleveland, OH
- Shawn Reinke, 27, Medina, OH
- Khaled Morra, 22, Wadsworth, OH
- Anthony Loignon, 49, Richardson, TX
- Brandon Gardner, 34, Vermilion, OH
- William Browning Jr., 45, West Salem, OH
- Joseph Pullella, 51, Akron, OH
- Yun Cao, 20, Hudson, OH
- Hemang Bhanushali, 32, Northfield, OH
- Gregory Echelberry, 37, Massillon, OH
- Zachary Albert, 24, North Canton, OH
- Ronald Richardson, 31, Cleveland, OH
- Jackson Studzinski, 23, Oberlin, OH
- Jose Rovelo, 50, Cleveland, OH
- Matthew Palmer, 42, Navarre, OH
- Jack Grodel, 25, Cleveland
Operation Memorial Dazed was conducted by members of Homeland Security, Newburgh Heights police, Austintown police, Streetsboro police, Cleveland police, Solon police, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Ohio Attorney General's Office, U.S. Secret Service and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children task force.
Authorities stressed the importance of knowing what children are doing online and highlighted the dangers of leaving children home alone connected to the internet.
